Jameskevich

A really strong showing from Baths, bringing a fuller and lusher sound than on past records to balance out some of the more harsh and experimental elements. The sometimes strange and seemingly off-the-cuff lyrics will not be to everyone’s tastes, but I’m absolutely here for the sad, horny, and evocative journey Baths goes on across these 11 tracks.

Eyewall is a stunning opener that builds and builds with bottled-up frustration, as Baths’ reedy singing lets through clipped ... read more

A bit…overbaked? Hurry Up Tomorrow is on such a heightened emotional wavelength for its runtime that I get fatigued by the end. In my opinion, São Paulo is the standout song on the album and it’s not even close; the jarring Brazilian Funk beats from featured artist Anitta alchemize beautifully with The Weeknd’s melodic, melodramatic pop. And Open Hearts is his most addictive single since Blinding Lights. But as a full album, I find this a bit cloying.

This is my first Squid album and I’ll admit that the sound took a while to work its magic on me, but there’s an intoxicating weirdness that demands closer attention. The queasy guitars on Cro-Magnon Man are not exactly what I would call accessible, yet are so unusual and sticky that I keep coming back for more.

Surges out the gate with a ton of energy, texture, and some very jagged guitar riffs, creating a sound that exists somewhere between St. Vincent and Alvvays, but the album loses a lot of momentum in a middle stretch of songs that get stuck in navel gazing for a bit too long. Let Me Go makes a strong return to form with some delicious harmonies between singer Dobson and featured guest Madison Cunningham that have been stuck in my head since I heard the album, but that shot in the arm wears off ... read more