A breakup album doesn’t always have to be about romance. Relationships of all types end all the time; that’s just a way of life whether we like it or not. In her rise to the top of the independent rap world, Little Simz has broken relationships with those who helped her get there, none more high profile than with former collaborator Inflo. But make no mistake, Simz is a master musician no matter who she works with. Lotus ponders the partnership that once was, as well as ... read more

Growing older is realizing all the problems of your youth still exist, but your back hurts while you contemplate them. Jarvis Cocker long knew this, and made sure to revel in old flames and sex for as long as he could as a young lad. Then Pulp’s 1990’s heyday ended, Cocker got married, gave someone a baby, and suddenly 20 years went by. Everything he once feared came to pass; the flames are still old and he’s still horny as all get out. But if the problems are all the same, ... read more

Meg Remy is an artist who’s never gonna do what you think she’s gonna do. It’s why the centerpiece to Scratch It is a song called “Bookends”; her penchant for mischief goes far beyond just how things sound. Whether she’s taking aim at an abusive lover, the economy or gender standards, her shifty nature has long made her blend of pop, disco, funk and soul irresistible and essential. And that’s what makes her latest U.S. Girls record a frustrating listen. ... read more

One doesn’t just make 27 albums on accident. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard put the world “prolific” to shame with how active they’ve been for a decade and a half now, and they’ve done so with a level of variety entire decades lack. From Western desperado tales to thrash metal voyages to looping garage rock ragers, there’s literally no corner of the world the sextet won’t explore. Their winding path has led them to Phantom Island, as symphonic of ... read more

The world wants Addison Rae to be a star. This much is obvious given how the TikTok-er has recovered commercially after releasing as critically-reviled of a debut single as I can remember. She’s finally here with her debut album, so how far has she come since the failure of “Obsessed”? Created with only two producers and co-written by them and Addison herself, Addison feels very complete in its sound. It trickles down a softer lane of pop than most of her contemporaries; ... read more

It's always easy to want to move on to the next big thing. Even when you create something great, as Turnstile did with 2021's GLOW ON, the allure of change is everpresent. But the playground the hardcore quintet played within on that album is one that was always ripe for return. The unprecedented popularity that breakout record brought the band afforded them time to hang from the monkey bars a little longer, time to slide down the slide a few more times. NEVER ENOUGH is at times ... read more

I know where liars go, so I cannot lie when I say I was expecting the absolute worst from Miley Cyrus’ latest record. Her music has been many things over her nearly two decade career, from mindlessly enjoyable (Party in the USA) to misunderstood (Bangerz) to downright dreadful (Endless Summer Vacation). Her most consistent feature is that she’s maddeningly inconsistent. When I read that the main inspiration for Something Beautiful was Pink Floyd’s The Wall, I failed to see how ... read more

For years, we all believed Sarah Tudzin was being held back by her record label. We even got an illuminati hotties record back in 2020 that plainly said it wasn’t the album you were waiting for. So now that she’s been free to do what she wants for years, why does Tudzin still hold her music back? Nail on the Fountain Floor does at times get back to some of the energetic power pop (or tenderpunk, a term Tudzin herself coined), but she continues to dawdle in boilerplate indie rock ... read more

yeule may be human like the rest of us, but their music has always given them the persona of something beyond our conventional understanding of what it means to be real. Their emotions have become highly digitized; whether that’s a good thing is up for the listener to decide. But what is a good thing is their approach to music, and over the years, we’ve seen them go from Glitch Princess to potential underground pop empress. Evangelic Girl is a Gun is a natural progression if you ... read more

We live in a day and age where our female pop stars are freer than ever to be themselves. You’ve got your Taylor Swifts and your Olivia Rodrigos, who explore their problems through supersized, highly personal anthems that any gender can relate to. Your Dua Lipas are less effective but still find success with charismatic vocals and catchy production. Then, of course, you’ve got your Lizzos and your Meghan Trainors, whose platitudes about female empowerment ring as empty as a Coke ... read more

Much like the rest of us, Viagra Boys are restless in this restless world. The Swedish punks have spent years skewering the hypermasculinity plaguing many terminally online men, but as good as they are at it, they reached a tipping point with 2022’s Cave World. Who doesn’t want to just delete your Twitter and get away from that shit sometimes? Instead, their latest self-titled (sort of) record gets back to basics, focusing on the simple and stupid because that’s just how these ... read more

The return of a hallowed musical act after a prolonged absence is often a double-edged sword. On one hand, fans will no doubt eat up whatever the artist puts out, but often the new material pales in comparison to what came before. Not everyone has a Songs of a Lost World in them. But Stereolab’s return after a 15-year hiatus is more on the side of The Cure’s comeback record than not. That long gap in between releases allowed Stereolab to hone in on their best elements, and much of ... read more

Opulent. Sensual. Consistent. Any variation of those adjectives can be used to describe Kali Uchis’ approach to pop music, and her mastery of those descriptors has catapulted her to the top of the pop world. She’s become a machine as far as album releases go; Sincerly, is her third record in as many years. It may not reach the highest of highs as a Red Moon in Venus or a “Igual Que Un Ángel” might, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more cohesive album ... read more

Ever since 2014’s Nikki Nack, I’ve been waiting for the next great Tune-Yards record. That album full of messy yet addicting alt-pop collages dominated much of my later college career, and it’s still one of my favorite albums of the 2010’s to this day. Perhaps growing older is realizing your favorite college artists rarely reach those highs again, but also learning to appreciate their artistic intentions anyway. If not a complete return to form for the Merrill Garbus and ... read more

In the day and age of TikTok sensations, it takes a certain something for the app’s sensations to stick around. What exactly is it that’ll get users to stick on a video for more than five seconds before swiping to the next thing? In the last few years, PinkPantheress has found what that is with sticky dance beats and lovesick croons. It’s nothing new, but her touch for infectious rhythms has earned her quite the following. Her new mixtape is perhaps the clearest vision into ... read more

Early on Pink Elephant, Win Butler sums things up pretty well. “Don’t think about Pink Elephant” he croons on the title track, and I can’t help but think that was a warning. Allegations of sexual misconduct have hung over Butler’s life since 2022, and they hang over the entirety of Arcade Fire’s 7th album. Just look at song titles like “Beyond Salvation” and tell me they’re not reactionary to this personal turmoil. But it’s all a ... read more

What great rock opera/concept album actually makes sense? It’s a rarity for one to listen to something like The Wall or The Black Parade and glean every detail the writer intended for you to hear upon first listen. The Scholars, the first album in five years from Will Toledo’s beloved project, takes this idea a step further and gives you absolutely no hints as to what the plot is at any moment through its lyrics. Something something character does this, something something Parnassus ... read more

Maybe one of these days, PUP will cheer up. Knowing from experience, it’s so unbelievably toxic on your mind to stew on your personal insecurities, let alone rage out to them. But I also know from the experience of listening to PUP for years that they’re nearly peerless in their ability to express these pained emotions. When paired with their raucous approach to pop punk, it’s rarely sounded so good feeling this bad. Their latest album is as noisy as they’ve sounded in a ... read more

A band I’ve heard of for many years but never got around listening to. Their latest makes me think I should check out some of their earlier material. It’s not bad at all, but there’s an edge that’s lacking from most songs; it’s all fairly sanitized modern rock music. Songs like “Squid Ink” are fine and all, but you’ll find better rock efforts from 2025 in most other places you can look.

The sound of classic rock is alive and well on Brian D’Addario’s solo debut. As one half of the Lemon Twigs, he brings a clear appreciation for the music that inspires him, carefully crafting his music to not just sound like a fanboy of the best bands from the 1970’s. Without his brother Michael involved, there’s a certain edge that’s lost, but if you’re a fan of anyone from Badfinger to Big Star and everyone in between, there’s plenty of easy listening ... read more