The Best of July 2021

Emo and indie rock remain ever-present forces in our monthly roundups, this time flanked by some sweet, sweet pedal steel and slide guitar. 

Jodi - Blue Heron

Sooper Records

Sometimes a single thing can prod you into checking out an artist; a well-written review, a compelling performance on-stage, or maybe the recommendation of a friend. For Jodi, it was this Stereogum article where writer Chris DeVille compared the former Pinegrove member to Wilco, American Football, Phil Elverum, Slaughter Beach Dog, and Lomelda over the course of just a few sentences. Aside from this lovely roster of soft-inspiration, Blue Heron is an album chock-full of slide guitar, and if I’ve learned anything about myself this year, it’s that I can never get enough slide guitar. Armed with little more than that country-indie-rock-bent and a heart full of emotions, Nick Levine explores the complexity of life throughout Blue Heron’s ten breathtaking tracks. There are lovely contributions from a half-dozen other members of Levine’s folk-rock inner circle, but for the most part, these songs center around giving voice to one person’s struggle through life. On a more personal note, I’ve leaned a lot on this record over the past month, and I’m immensely grateful for it appearing in my life when it did. 

Runner - Always Running

Run For Cover Records

Even though half of Runner’s new album is comprised of year-old songs, that doesn’t make the overall package any less enticing. There’s twangy guitar, lush horns, and even a wild Thundercat cover. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for some banjo and slide guitar, but Always Repeating is a half-hour excursion that feels tailor-made for me. This is a record I can throw on at any time, in any mood, and become completely swept up in. It’s as easy and breezy as an afternoon spent lazily floating down a river with friends by your side and a six-pack within arm’s reach. Pure summer bliss. 

Gang of Youths - total serene

Mosy Recordings

Based solely on the internet’s reaction to “the angel of 8th ave.” dropping back in June, it was clear that Gang of Youths fans were starved. This was the first we’d heard from the Australian indie rockers in earnest since 2017’s Go Farther In Lightness, and fans weren’t hiding their near-half-decade of hunger. Despite having never heard of this band, I saw the hype, decided to give the song a listen, and it quickly became one of my favorites of 2021. I might not have a years-long connection with Gang of Youths, but I still recognize “the angel of 8th ave.” as a scientifically perfect heartland rock song. This lead single has a great build, a soaring melody, swaying guitar, and anthemic chorus of “there is heaven in you now!!” which feels primed for shouting out your car window as you fly down some stretch of desert highway at 90 miles an hour. From there, the group hits the listener with a great cover of an Elbow song that sounds downright National-esque. Finally, “unison” wraps things up with a reflective, sax-laden track in the style of classic indie rock. It may only be three songs long, but total serene is allegedly just a prelude to a full album coming out later this year. I may have gotten to Gang of Youths late, but now that I’m on board, I couldn’t be more excited to join the hype train with everybody else. 

Gnawing - You Freak Me Out

Refresh Records

Psst. Hey kid, ya like Dinosaur Jr? Of course you do! Well, I got a record for you, and no, it’s not the new Dinosaur Jr (as good as that album is), it’s this band called Gnawing. Seriously, there were moments in listening to You Freak Me Out that straight-up I forgot I wasn’t listening to Dinosaur Jr. That’s not to say that the Virginia-based rock band is a one-trick pony; it’s just that lead singer John Russel’s voice is so close to the scratchy velcro drawl of the iconic 90s band. There’s plenty of variation on this record, from jaunty country-flavored excursions to high-powered guitar solo freakouts. A joyous debut album that builds off the group’s previous releases and pushes them into exciting new territories that are as comforting as they are exhilarating. 

skirts - Great Big Wild Oak

Double Double Whammy

Remember how I said I liked pedal steel and slide guitar? Well, Great Big Wild Oak has tons of it. At a certain point, the debut from Alex Montenegro feels less like an album and more like an experience. You press play on the first song and watch as the release slowly envelops you. As Great Big Wild Oak unfolds, it begins to transport you. The songs unfurl one at a time resulting in one, long naturalistic 30-minute journey that makes it feel as if you too are in the lush, tree-dotted lake depicted on the cover. The record is adorned with rural Texas imagery and touted as a “convergence of Southwestern folk-rock, contemporary percussion, and piercing guitar licks.” The result is a relaxing and meditative listen that feels like the auditory equivalent of a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

Lakes - Start Again

Know Hope Records

Lakes feel like a revelation. Even though there’s nothing overtly world-shattering about the UK-based outfit, the group manages to marry tappy and technical emo with a particular blend of powerful, reaching mid-aughts indie rock, and they do so to an impressive effect. While the record’s singles (“Start Again,” “Matches,” and “Retrograde”) prove to be an excellent sample platter for the band’s music, they also managed to save some of the best cuts like “Mirrors” and “Talk!” for the album, which is something that I always appreciate. A marvelous merging of styles that result in a sweeping, emotional LP that will comfort and console.

Bad Luck - Summer Of Pain

Take This To Heart Records

Just as You Freak Me Out made me want to go and listen to Dinosaur Jr, Summer of Pain compelled me to queue up Save Face. I don’t think it’s always accurate or healthy to compare bands to one another like this, but if a Save Face fan is reading this and hungry for similar tunes, there’s no better accolade than evoking the sharp bellows and neat guitar licks of Tyler Povanda. That’s not to say that Bad Luck can’t stand on their own; just one listen to Summer of Pain reveals a wonderfully talented band with a knack for catchy hooks, shreddy instrumentals, and relatable lyrics. A fast, fun, frenetic listen that will charge you up and set you off.

Midwife - Luminol

The Flenser

What does despair sound like to you? To me, it sounds like Midwife. Having first popped up on my radar with last year’s Forever, Midwife became one of those projects like Julien Baker or Mount Eerie that I adore but can only bring myself to listen to every once in a while because they’re just so crushing. Embracing a self-described genre of “Heaven Metal,” Midwife crafts a dense, moody, loopy mix of slowgaze and drone that tackles topics too heavy for everyday life. While Forever eulogized a friend, Luminol is an angrier record that recons with the seismic changes and universal unrest that we’ve all felt over the past year. A cataclismic experience. 

Quick Hits

Sorry, but I couldn’t find the energy to keep a list of one-sentence reviews for everything else I listened to this month. Here’s a playlist of my favorite songs from each new release I heard in July as a replacement.

VIAL – LOUDMOUTH | Album Review

There’s a special type of baggage that comes with being a “TikTok Band.” It’s not uncommon to see Tiktokers who also happen to make music express their reluctance to promote their songs on the app for fear of such stigma. This phenomenon also goes both ways with groups like Beach Bunny, who have enjoyed “hit” TikTok songs, but refuse to let themselves be defined by that success. With the lines between “art” and “content” becoming increasingly blurred, the desire for such separation is understandable (not to mention the unsavory company that TikTok musicians may find themselves among). But unlike the now-infamous trio of pop-punk girlbosses, VIAL’s rage runs deeper than Manic Panic hair and performative vulgarity— as does their collaborative spirit. They’ve embraced the “TikTok band” label and everything that comes with it, sharing goofy videos about their idiosyncratic fashion choices and how they found their drummer on Tinder, all the while using the platform to promote their band. Perhaps most importantly, the rapport the band members have with one another feels natural. Their friendship seems like a genuine necessity of their creative process rather than a tacked-on marketing gimmick. 

VIAL are musicians, not influencers, and on their sophomore LP, LOUDMOUTH, they’re making pop-punk for the Extremely Online. Their targets are often digital age villains like the irony bros and devil’s advocates they roast on the roaring album opener, “Ego Death.” Lyrics like “What about your life on Twitter?/What about me makes you bitter?/I won’t be your babysitter!” make it clear from the get-go that VIAL are taking their riot grrrl roots and updating them for the 21st century.

That’s not the only way that VIAL draws inspiration from the groundbreaking genre while filling in some of its blind spots. For decades, the riot grrrl movement has been rightfully criticized for being overwhelmingly white, cis, and privileged. VIAL find themselves in good company with artists like Meet Me At The Altar, Nova Twins, illuminati hotties, and Pom Pom Squad, who are bringing refreshing inclusivity to the riot grrrl revival. Nonbinary identity and rejection of gender roles are central to VIAL’s music— as it says in their social media bios, they are NOT a girl band.

Even when VIAL’s influences are apparent, they manage to put an original spin on the ideas of their foremothers. Songs like “Roadkill” and “Piss Punk” see them channeling early Sleater-Kinney as they take aim at sexism in the music industry. Inspiration from punk predecessors like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile is clear in lead vocalist Taylor Kraemer’s snarky, flippant delivery on “Planet Drool” and in the song’s schoolyard taunt intro: “bratty, bitchy, money-hungry/ruin the fun for everybody” is chanted in unison over Miss Mary Mack-style hand claps. Standout single “Violet” is a power-pop ballad about queer longing and the confusion between romantic and platonic feelings. Its title-- along with its plucky guitar riffs and rolling snare-heavy drum fills --call to mind the riot grrrl classic of the same name from one of the genre’s most controversial icons. 

All this being said, some of their efforts to make riot grrrl sound original and up-to-date are less fruitful than others. Lines like “I can’t begin to explain how much that I fucking hate you/you fucked me up/you talk too much/and I will never date you” come off more whiny and juvenile than subversive. “Therapy Pt. II” (the sequel to “Therapy” from their debut album Grow Up) leans on straw feminist sloganeering— if sloppy rhyming of “get therapy” with “toxic masculinity” doesn’t give you enough second-hand embarrassment, ad-libs like “plus you’re really bad in bed!” will have listeners questioning how far VIAL’s gender politics have progressed past 2016 Tumblr discourse.

Their talents shine brightest when they’re making spunky pop songs that are sweet without being saccharine. Cuts like “Thumb” and “Something More” incorporate tinny drums, bouncy surf-rock guitar progressions, and infectiously catchy hooks destined to delight fans of The Regrettes and the aforementioned Beach Bunny. “Vodka Lemonade,” a ridiculously fun song about some decidedly un-fun things-- social anxiety, self-doubt -- features captivating stop-and-start progression, sparkling vocal harmonies, and a kickass horn solo. Even during moments of frustration, uncertainty, and despair, VIAL aren’t above joking about drinking their weight in caffeine and being left alone while their friends go out without them. “21” is an excellent album closer, a quarter-life crisis anthem whose sincerity doesn’t come at the sacrifice of its sense of humor. This seems to be the key ingredient to VIAL’s recipe-- no matter what they do, they’re gonna have fun with it, and we’re lucky that they’ve brought us along for the ride.

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Grace Robins-Somerville is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. You can find her on Instagram @grace_roso and on Twitter @grace_roso.

Celebration Guns – The Visiting Years | EP Premiere

As you may have heard, pop-punk is having a post-pandemic revival, and 5th wave emo is in full swing. Arizona indie rockers Celebration Guns are doing more than just riding the wave. They’ve been pumping out catchy, hook-heavy, Midwest Emo-adjacent bangers since the mid-2010s, and their latest project with Chillwavve Records is no exception. The Visiting Years sees them seamlessly interweaving poppy melodies, charmingly fuzzy production, and math-y guitar riffs that’ll draw in fans of American Football and Foxing. This is all paired with gang vocals that practically beg to be screamed along to at post-vax shows. Lyrically, these songs are anthemic and emotionally resonant, without taking themselves too seriously. 

Celebration Guns are occasionally anthemic to a fault. On “The Tools That Take From Us,” they run into a problem similar to the one that kneecapped the most recent IDLES album, where it becomes a bit too obvious that they’re trying to write a capital-P Protest Song about these troubling and uncertain times we’re living in. A cringe-inducing line like “I can’t wait to hear how I’ve been dumb/A snowflake and liberal to some” cheapens an otherwise thoughtful track about a generation’s frustration with the policymakers who’ve failed them. The COVID-19 pandemic had artists brimming with “now more than ever” energy-- often well-meaning but misplaced --and Celebration Guns are not immune to these moments of heavy-handedness. This isn’t to say that the concerns they’re expressing become devoid of their power, but their unsubtle wink and nod swiftly derails the song, making its youthful urgency seem cloying and juvenile. 

However, it’s not as though this borderline immaturity never works in their favor-- quite the contrary. With its driving drum beat and fun pop-punk hooks, “Obnoxious. Loud. Undoubtedly Fulfilled” stands out as a sweet and rowdy ode to finding your niche both creatively and socially. It begins with a lament about being “picked last by people that you don’t like for a game you never cared to play” and leads us to a misfit utopia where the things that make us feel ostracized are the same things that allow us to find community and artistic fulfillment. It’s a song that speaks to the deeply relatable experience of the reluctant outcast who feigns disinterest in fitting in because there’s nothing less cool than trying to be cool and failing. Like Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast expressed in a recent installment of her music video breakdown series, “there’s this kind of fear that you want to fit in, you just don’t...it’s just [about] finding something of your own that makes not fitting in worthwhile.” In a similar vein, the song’s narrator recognizes that he isn’t above caring what the cool kids think of him and admits that at times he’s been “desperate to say that he’s better than them.” It’s vulnerable, multi-faceted storytelling like this that makes Celebration Guns’ music so human and so welcoming, as if they’re inviting you to join them “up on the hill” with all the other freaks and weirdos. We get to follow our gang of misfits on their journey to the place where they can revel in their uncoolness and recognize their outcast status as an integral part of their triumph. On a more meta level, lines like “I never thought I’d see acceptance for who I could be/I never got to say thank you for who I am today” come off as a group of bandmates expressing their gratitude to and for each other. The result is heartwarming without becoming overly precious. 

Celebration Guns’ optimism is not without its obstacles. The EP’s title track has lead vocalist Justin Weir opening up about his experiences with chronic illness and suicidal ideation. The recurring themes of survival and perseverance coexist with-- and are necessitated by --circumstances that make living feel like an impossible thing to do. “I’m tired of telling lies so you won’t worry about me,” he sings, clinging to his ability to stay alive in a body that’s trying to destroy itself and a world that’s falling apart. The song’s emotional climax comes when he addresses the listener directly-- “if you’re hearing this, I’m still alive.” It’s a duality that’s present throughout the project-- the bitterness of adversity and the sweetness of survival are intertwined, a reminder that sometimes survival is a victory in and of itself. The Visiting Years is a life-affirming project that boldly follows its bittersweet heart. The result is obnoxious, loud, and undoubtedly fulfilling. 

The Visiting Years is out July 30th on Chillwavve Records.

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Grace Robins-Somerville is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. You can find her on Instagram @grace_roso and on Twitter @grace_roso.

The Best of June 2021

A (slightly delayed) roundup of the best releases of June from ska to stoner rock, plus a couple of easy album of the year contenders. 

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

Dead Oceans

Listening to Jubilee is like eating a cheesecake; it’s sweet, delicate, and best enjoyed when you savor every morsel. This is not a dessert to be scarfed down in one sitting over the kitchen counter, but a delicacy where each bite delights your palette in different ways. While Psychopomp was a brief but impactful album that saw Michelle Zauner grappling with the loss of her mother, Soft Sounds From Another Planet was a coping mechanism where that grief was filtered through a sci-fi lens and beamed in from some distant corner of the galaxy. By contrast, Jubilee sees Zauner trading the far reaches of space for a more grounded sense of serenity. However, joy, while hard-fought and well-earned, cannot exist in a vacuum. In order to genuinely experience happiness, one must open themselves up to a full range of emotions. Even with the record’s relatively sunny disposition, Zauner is realistic in the strides she attempts to make. Perfection is too far away, but lines like “I want to navigate this hate in my heart... somewhere better” illustrate an achievable middle ground. After two records of grief and self-consolation, Zauner is ready to reclaim her joy.

We Are The Union - Ordinary Life

Bad Time Records

You wake up to an empty apartment in Pasadena. You are trans, and the world is not your oyster. Ordinary Life follows We Are The Union singer Reade Wolcott’s gender transition and details all the feelings, events, and dynamics that come in the wake of such a seismic personal change. This is a story that’s told beautifully on-record but also through the band’s fun-loving music videos. From burying your old self to removing labels, each outing is a vibrant and lighthearted helping of summer ska. Ultimately, despite all the consolatory cigarettes, side-eyes, depression, and dysphoria, Wolcott achieves peace through the realization that she is “anything but ordinary,” and that is not only worth celebrating but worth every ounce of strife encountered along the way. 

Read our full review of Ordinary Life here.

ME REX - Megabear

Big Scary Monsters

In a landscape dominated by substanceless viral singles, blatant streaming bait, and otherwise uninspired artistry, sometimes you have to do things differently to stand out. What’s more, sometimes you have to be realistic about your listener. Not everyone will listen to your album, and those who do might not even make it all the way through. Maybe that’s why Megabear is such an exciting album. The debut record from the UK indie rockers is comprised of 52 different song “segments” that can be shuffled together in any order to form an infinite, endless loop of songs. It sounds like a gimmick, but the amazing part is that it actually works. Most of the tracks are sub-one-minute excursions, but that doesn’t mean there’s any lack of personality or charm. In a world where the concept of the “album” changes on a seemingly daily basis, it’s interesting to see an artist lean into breaking old formats and doing it so effectively.

Parting - Unmake Me

Count Your Lucky Stars

Unmake Me is an unassuming little album. A lightweight seven tracks clocking in at a collective 18 minutes and 23 seconds, it might be easy to mistake for an EP. What’s hiding behind the new band name, goofy song titles, and the swan-adorned cover is the musical talent of an emo supergroup composed of members from iconic acts like Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) and Dowsing. Together they join forces to craft a compelling narrative of loss and conflict in classic fourth wave emo style. The members’ tenure in other bands is impossible to miss; the instrumentals are tight, and the lyrics stick to your brain like glue. It’s easy to listen to Unmake Me and see “just another” emo album, but just a few spins will soon reveal the powerful force of humanity at its center.

Read our full review of Unmake Me here.

Lucy Dacus - Home Video

Matador Records

Aside from being one of the best albums of 2018, the last LP from Lucy Dacus centered around the idea of being a “historian.” Throughout the album, she uses the term to describe both herself and members of her lineage capturing each other’s lives through words and experiences. On her newest album, Home Video, Dacus puts this idea into practice with a collection of tracks that see the singer-songwriter holding her past up to the light and letting it bounce off like a disco ball. These memories take the form of basement makeouts, abusive parents, and friends settling in their relationships. All of these tales are delicately woven through Dacus’ velveteen voice, masterful guitarwork, and dynamic instrumentation in what is an easy shoo-in for one of the best records of 2021. 

Newgrounds Death Rugby - Pictures of Your Pets

Suneater Records

I’m a simple man; when I hear a good riff, my brain is happy. Luckily, Newgrounds Death Rugby is here to supply the serotonin for me and every other emo like me with Pictures of Your Pets. The release opens with a mellow little guitar lick and toy piano, which welcome the listener into the record with a sense of childlike wonder. Soon lead singer Danny Jorgensen enters with vocals that feel reminiscent of long-lost emo side project Adventures. Overall, the songs on Pictures grapple with the same sense of innocence lost as many other emo records of its ilk, but through some combination of sincerity, charm, and technical skill, Newgrounds Death Rugby manage to make it all feel fresh.

Iceburn - Asclepius

Southern Lord

The invitation was simple; “feel it’s mammoth power,” read the tweet from Southern Lord records. It turns out that was all I needed. A tweet from a label that I love promising mammoth riffs? Say no more. Even though it’s from a band I’ve never heard of, Asclepius delivers on every possible front. Containing two tracks clocking in at just under 20 minutes each, both songs on this album pummel the listener with dense, fuzzy stoner rock riffs that will have you bobbing your head along with the all-powerful groove. I discovered upon doing just a minimal amount of research that Asclepius is the tenth release from Iceburn and the first in 21 years. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the sand-covered Mad Max world of stoner rock, a reunion album that shreds this hard is worth your time. The riffs speak for themselves. 

Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader

City Slang

For nearly one century of media, the cheerleader has been one of the most persistent tropes in pop culture. Cheerleaders are always depicted as the most popular, attractive, and dominant forces in any school. They sit atop the social hierarchy and look down upon their fawning masses with a strange mix of pity and admiration. For a school full of teenagers, the death of a cheerleader would be tantamount to England losing their queen; it’s a loss that would make their respective domains stand still. Death of a Cheerleader takes this dynamic and upends it in a collection of 14 poppy indie rock tracks that reframe this all-too-familiar narrative with a definitively queer perspective. 

In its best moments, Cheerleader feels like an assembly of cult faves funneled through a pastel-colored pep rally lens. Whether taking visual inspiration from films like Heathers and The Virgin Suicides or channeling iconic left-field creatives like John Waters and David Lynch, the album still feels like it was created with a holistic perspective. Song topics range from things as heavy as questioning gender roles and weathering abusive relationships but still maintain the energy of a cheerleader facing the crowd during the first homecoming game. In the album’s most simple moments, the songs can feel like a reminder to allow yourself to indulge in rage or simply feel emotions in the first place. Most notably, a cover of “Crimson and Clover” sits smack dab in the middle of the tracklist, echoing Joan Jett’s famous gender-swapping cover from 40 years earlier. Whether consumed in one sitting or snacking on the album’s bite-sized singles, Death of a Cheerleader is an undeniable new landmark for queer poppy indie rock. 

Quick Hits

Holy Profane - Jettison Yr Dreams - The latest album from Holy Profane tackles disillusionment, disjointed memories, and the hangover of youthful folk punk idealism.

Danny Elfman - Big Mess - Essentially the closest we’ll ever get to a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel.

Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness - A back-to-basics course-correction after 2019’s disastrous The Center Won’t Hold.

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend - Explosive and ever-shifting, Blue Weekend effortlessly winds its way from heartfelt ballads, soaring indie rock, and sneering punk rock with impressive finesse.

Migos - CULTURE III - The third entry in the Culture series comes after a trifecta of solo albums and omnipresent trap features over the last few years. It’s unwieldy, but it ticks all the boxes.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000 - In their second album of the year, the Australian rockers lean far into the synthy side of their spectrum for an MGMT-like psych record. 

Portugal. The Man - ULU Selects Vol #1 - Three stripped-down live cuts and an Oasis cover from the recently-ascendant Alaskan indie rockers. 

Dating - I Would Prefer Not To - Part shoegaze, part post-rock, part emo, part post-hardcore, the first album in eight years from the Swedish quartet sits at an intersection of genres that feels tailor-made for me. 

heavenly creature records - 1980 something: an 80s cover comp for no more dysphoria - A compilation of DIY greats covering their favorite 80s songs with all funds going to No More Dysphoria.

Good Beats Records & Ear Coffee - Simple Demands: A Hop Along Tribute - A collection of Hop Along covers with all proceeds will going No More Dysphoria and The Jim Collins Foundation.

Fuckin Whatever - Fuckin Whatever - A wonderful little EP from a supergroup comprised of Anthony Green (Circa Survive), Adam Lazzara, and John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday).

Rostam - Changephobia - The expansive and exploratory sophomore album from the ex-Vampire Weekend member.

Sufjan Stevens - Convocations - Returning to his earliest electronic tendencies, everyone’s favorite indie sadboy dropped a massive 49-track, five-part computerized release that stretches from inward meditations to outward celebrations. 

Slow Fire Pistol - Rabbit Town Blues - A five-track hardcore release that contains one of the coolest riffs of the year so far. 

Dikembe - Game Over - A career-spanning collection of 8-bit remixes from one of Florida’s forefront emo bands. 

Terrible People - Home, In A Way - An EP-length Singaporean emo album that will undoubtedly scratch that Hotelier itch.

COWBOY BOY - GOOD GIRL - With vocals that sound like Retirement Party’s Avery Springer, lyrics as relatable as Future Teens, and instrumentals that bring the bite of Diet Cig, GOOD GIRL is a catchy, anthemic, and personable collection of 12 songs. 

Options - On the Draw - Wrote and recorded in just a week, On the Draw is beautifully roomy with wonderful, dancy indie rock sensibilities.

Turnstile - TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION - A pack of three-and-a-half shredders from the hardcore punk act.

Angel Du$t - Bigger House - The once-hardcore band pivots further into softer 90-alt-rock-inspired sounds to great effect. Beautiful summer bops capped off with two remixes. 

The Mountain Goats - Dark in Here - John Darnielle and co. create another darn good Mountain Goats record that possesses a hunkered-down-in-the-bomb-shelter feel. 

Beabadoobee - Our Extended Play - Beatrice Laus teams up with The 1975’s Matty Healy for a bite-size EP of 90s alt-pop bangers.

Pure Noise Records - Pure Noise LoFi Punk Chill - Pop-punk goes lo-fi-hip-hop-beats-to-study-to featuring the best of the Pure Noise roster from Knocked Loose and Seahaven to Just Friends and The Story So Far.

Free Throw - Piecing It Together - As Free Throw approach their first decade together as a band, they continue to crank out high-energy emo that’s as moshable as it is relatable. 

Slow Pulp - Deleted Scenes - The porch-beer-friendly indie rockers revisit and reimagine two songs from last year’s excellent Moveys. 

Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket - A multicolored acid trip that grinds its way from off-kilter to optimistic in classic Modest Mouse fashion.

Jungheim - Songs That Piss Men Off - Nayla Maya continues to prove herself as one of the sharpest and most creative musicians with this collection of five loosely country-themed songs.

SPELLLING - The Turning Wheel - FKA Twigs, but witchy. 

Kevin Devine - No One’s Waiting Up For Me Tonight - Tender and wistful sentiments lie coiled at the heart of Kevin Divine’s new folky back-to-basics EP. Read our full review here.

Owen - The Avalanche Remixes - Emo Godfather Mike Kinsella turns his 2020 LP over to a host of conspirators and collaborators ranging from Jay Som to NNAMDÏ.

Olivia Kaplan - Tonight Turns to Nothing - Finally, Mermaid Rock is here, and it’s a glorious genre. 

Skatune Network - Burn The Billboard - Ska covers of pop songs, alternative rock hits, and ringtone rap. Checker-patterned chef’s kiss.

Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST - Tyler, The Creative drops the lounge singer heartbreak found on 2019’s IGOR and returns to the golden era of early 2010’s mixtape bars.

Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny haha - Hushed vocals, slide guitar, and sentimental feelings are the foundation keeping Faye Webster’s excellent fourth album afloat. 

Wild Pink - 3 Songs - Another three songs from the heartland indie rocker who has already gifted us one of the best albums and some of the best covers of the year. 

Maple Glider - To Enjoy is the Only Thing - Naturalistic indie rock fit for the backdrop of campfires, lakeside chats, and beachside sunsets. 

Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It - Despite the objectively hilarious title, the umteenth record from Hiss Golden Messenger is a pleasant, unoffensive, and laid-back listen.

Drug Church - Tawny - Eleven minutes of borderline-post-hardcore that will satisfy all your brawny Title Fight desires. 

Squirrel Flower - Planet (i) - From desert flora to the far reaches of space, the latest from Squirrel Flower is a miraculous indie rock record.

Hurry - Fake Ideas - Somewhere between porch beer albums and emo rock exists bands like Sinai Vessel, Trace Mountains, and now... Hurry. 

Covey - Class Of Cardinal Sin - Personal tales woven into an emo-tinted singer-songwriter blanket.  

Kevin Devine – No One's Waiting Up For Me Tonight | EP Review

For nearly two decades, Brooklyn’s Kevin Devine has carved out cross-genre niches in his musical pursuits, whether it’s with emo cult favorite Miracle of 86, folk rock supergroup Bad Books, or collaborations with the likes of Craig Finn and Meredith Graves on his Divinyls Splits Series. Devine’s latest solo project sees him going back to singer-songwriterly basics. No One’s Waiting Up For Me Tonight is wistful and introspective, allowing for Devine’s delicate melodies and thoughtful lyricism to take center stage. Though at times the moody-broody Elliott Smith worship goes a bit too far-- lines like “God transmissions through my higher mind” warrant an eye roll --Devine manages to build off of his indie folk influences in a striking way.

Take the standout track “I’ve Never Been Happier Than I Was In That Picture,” a rose-tinted waltz through memories of a past romance. As he paints vivid scenes of still life drawings in deserts and barefoot fountain dances during a Brooklyn heatwave, Devine gives thanks to a former lover for the moments of joy that have been preserved by memory. His bittersweet gratitude is backed by a shimmering, Sufjan-esque string arrangement-- the most elaborate on an otherwise instrumentally sparse EP. 

These songs float between appreciation and regret, with memory serving as the throughline that tethers them to one another. There are times where it would seem easy for Devine to overindulge in nostalgia, an impulse which he artfully resists. The EP’s most striking moments come when Devine undercuts his own tendency toward romanticism with the occasional blunt one-liner: “you weren’t peaceful, you weren’t in love,” he sings on closing track “All There Is Now.” His ability to embrace both the beauty and the ugliness in his reflections on the past strengthens each emotional blow. The regretful “Taking Shape” juxtaposes Devine “coughing bloody yolk, threading a minefield blind” with Simon And Garfunkel-style vocal harmonies. Meanwhile, “Lakes On The Moon” is a stripped-down acoustic statement of humility, forgiveness, and loss. 

Composed in quarantine, No One’s Waiting Up For Me Tonight is imbued with anxieties about an uncertain future as well as the promise of personal growth. It’s a testament to self-reflection, but more than that, it shows Devine questioning how he can use this period of solitude to head into the unknown. Even in its loneliest moments, there remains a quiet hope. 

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Grace Robins-Somerville is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. You can find her on Instagram @grace_roso and on Twitter @grace_roso.