Tabletopatmo

Alt-J intrigue as always with their textures and soundscapes, but despite the business-as-usual feeling that settles in through most of this album, The Dream frequently teases the mind with thoughts of “this may be their weakest album yet” by the time that it's over. Many of the tracks feel emptier than we’ve come to expect from the band, with their often-inspired musical and lyrical ideas sometimes failing to crystalize into something that feels like a complete song. The ... read more

While this may not be Arcade Fire's most entertaining or even inspired album, what it does offer in terms of superlatives is perhaps the most perfect synthesis of the various sounds they have cultivated over the years. Sing-song indie and driving dance. Endearing acoustics and glittering synths. It feels like influences and tendencies melded into one perfect realization of the Arcade Fire sound, which I believe is a large part of what people are responding so positively to. It may be that this ... read more

WE ARE is an exuberant and joyful record that inspires much toe-tapping and the replaying of tracks. Songs like TELL THE TRUTH and I NEED YOU glisten with an energy and optimism that draws upon the power of positive-vibes-past to bring the musical brightness of decades past into our troubled present times. While there are some moments (few, but some) where Batiste still feels in development, this album is a showcase for all of the things that he is. Singer. Pianist. DJ. Arranger. Bandleader. ... read more

Each Song a Bleeding Heart
Julien Baker's "Little Oblivions" is like a gallery walk through her heartache. Her perfect indie sensibilities are married with a larger sense of production that expands her internal world outward to put it on display for all. There is uplift and catharsis in the arrangements, in the earnestness of her feeling. HARDLINE exemplifies all of that while launching the album with an eager burst. ZIPTIE closes the album with simple motifs and a sound that can best ... read more