Sharp Pins continue to deliver records that are inspired by the seemingly simple jangle of bands like Big Star and the Hollies, yet manage to meet those high standards of crafty and intelligent songwriting in a modern and inventive manner. Slater has managed to craft a power-pop work of art that pays its respect to its influences yet moves the bar forward.
YHWH Nailgun has an economical prowess that bases everything that's going on around their drums and make the kinds of albums that oftentimes reflect more on what you desire and whether you trust your ears enough to lead you there. 45 Pounds is a strong contender for the real early 2024 rock album to have an opinion on.
The Ophelias are no longer a scrappy Cincinnati quartet, and they have the accolades to prove it. On their fourth album, lead singer Spencer Peppet sharpens her visceral storytelling skills to confront old ghosts and untangle conversations she only accessed in her dreams. Emotive and intimate, each of the thirteen tracks explores emotions far beyond heartbreak, instead touching on personal transformation and queer joy.
Parallels EP’s blurry presentation, its delightfully melodic shifts, and stark lingering moods create an intentionally deceptive listen. It’s an expansion on what the band has pushed forward, with so many manners of change and growth that are worth looking into as they progress. Minor Conflict are always looking for spaces where positive growth and newfound insights intersect.
Avery Friedman’s debut LP New Thing wants to scratch under the surface, to look at and feel the sensations of the unknown. The album is feeling its way forward, presenting some of its findings along the way, and showing them with sound that is curious about life, discovery, and taking that leap into what is unseen.
Whelpwisher’s Same Mistakes sees no need to bury technical skill beneath complexity. Ben Grigg is a songwriter who can seemingly churn out effervescent rock songs in his sleep. Whelpwisher is like the Chicago fuzz-pop Santa leaving songs at your front door. Same Mistakes is just the latest gift to arrive.
Tunic’s A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung is a meatgrinder of syncopated distortion, clarity of grief, unfiltered lyrics, raw textured instruments, and hard hitting repetition. It’s no wonder this album of disparate sensations provides a release, a mode of muted catharsis as the sound they produce scratches at the air, grasping for it.
All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry), is the sound of frustration and apathy. Not only does the title adroitly communicate the cyclical demise of unavoidable frustration of spiral thought, but the songs themselves—noisy, harsh, unrelenting in their acrimony pack each song with cool detachment.
Over the past 10 years, Amyl and The Sniffers have pushed the aesthetics, ethos, and energy of contemporary punk music. Their previous album, Comfort To Me, saw huge success on all fronts in 2021. On Cartoon Darkness, we hear the band ruminating on that success, what has come with it, and what’s coming next.
