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Panda Bear - Sinister Grift
Historically, Noah Lennox’s solo albums as Panda Bear have been places where he can compartmentalize parts of his musical voice that blur into a larger, more chaotic whole when played out through his role in Animal Collective. Even at their most uproarious, the different phases of Lennox’s work have all shared a specific air of solitude, drawing from the deepest reaches of his emotional center, and sounding very much like they were crafted in isolation. Sinister Grift breaks that mold to some extent. The washed-out synths and dreamy, Beach Boys-descendant vocal harmonies of earlier Panda Bear output are still present, but are joined here by electric guitars, full kit drums, bass, and songs that adhere to more traditional rock band structures. Though there was ample collaboration here (Cindy Lee sings on “Defense” and there are contributions from all of Lennox’s Animal Collective bandmates and Spirit of the Beehive’s Rivka Ravede) Lennox plays most of the instruments himself and the majority of the vocals are his signature stacks of reverb-coated self-harmonizing. Sinister Grift is a significant chapter in the Panda Bear story if only for how it finds Lennox shedding some of the stubborn uneasiness that’s so long been part of his music. While still mainly the product of a solitary mind, the album is perhaps the least lonely Panda Bear has sounded to date. ~Fred Thomas, allmusic.com
Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
Horsegirl's debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, was a bracing reboot of noise rock that saw the young musicians diving headfirst into scrape-y post-punk, scrappy shoegaze, and overdriven C86-style pop, emerging with a batch of songs that balanced avant-garde sounds and lemonade-sweet melodies. It was so good and so fresh-feeling that it almost immediately begged the question of what they could possibly do to improve on an approach that's nearly perfect. They sort that out on their second album, Phonetics On and On, in a couple of ways. Firstly, they strip off almost all vestiges of noise, with barely any distortion and a crisp, clean production helmed by Cate Le Bon. Secondly, they bring the voices to the front of the mix, letting their plangent leads and swooning harmonies be the focus. It was a daring gambit, but it pays off exceedingly well. Part of the joy of the band's debut was the sheer amount of grit and rumble in the mix; this time the listener is dazzled by the sleek starkness of the arrangement and production, where one can hear the space between the clanging, jangling guitars, angular bass lines, and restrained drum hits, ~Tim Sendara allmusic.com
Squid - Cowards
On Cowards, U.K. combo Squid introduce a unified theme that they've juxtaposed against some of their brightest and most melodic tracks to date. Generally speaking, Cowards is an album about evil. Under that black umbrella, Squid examine murder, narcissism, weakness, ego, and general wrongdoing. These subjects dovetail quite nicely into the group's already anxious post-punk style, though, interestingly, the album feels more exciting than grim. Over a decor of shimmering arpeggios and harpsichord, singer/drummer Ollie Judge applies cold, demented glee to "Crispy Skin," a song about cannibalism. "Building 650" is another standout with a gorgeous string arrangement that explores a protagonist too weak to disavow a friend who is clearly evil. Aiding and abetting the band are producers Marta Salogni and Grace Banks and mixing engineer John McEntire. Squid are still in the early part of their career, but with each record, they've shown a remarkable adaptability and willingness to change, without losing what makes them special. ~Timothy Monger allmusic.com
Stereolab — Instant Holograms on Metal Film
On their first album in 15 years, Stereolab don't pretend that time stood still after 2010's Not Music. Instead, Instant Holograms on Metal Film presents a Stereolab fit for the era to which they returned. Yes, the album's quintessentially Stereolab title may come from a 1970 issue of Electronics Australia, and yes, some of its fondly familiar sounds echo the likes of Margerine Eclipse and Emperor Tomato Ketchup ("Immortal Hands"' pensive chamber pop could be a distant cousin of Ketchup's "Monstre Sacre"). More importantly, the band's energy is dynamic in a way that it hasn't been in some time -- a product of their steady touring that also recalls the charged atmosphere of their earliest singles. On each of Instant Holograms on Metal Film's billowing, exploratory songs, they rise to action, even if they don't do it in obvious ways. The morphing grooves and blasts of Ben LaMar Gay's cornet on the standout "Melodie Is a Wound," for example, come closer to the interplay between a jazz ensemble's members than a straightforward climax. Their pursuit of "higher frequencies" on "Transmuted Matter" is transportingly lovely, as is "Vermona F Transistor," a twinkling baroque-funk statement of empowerment where vocalist Laetitia Sadier declares, "I'm the creator of this reality." When she directs listeners to "explore without fear" on the finale, "If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream, Pt. 2," it sounds like a message of encouragement that an alien society sent from across the stars. Capturing the inspiring spark in bygone visions of what the future could be is one of Stereolab's greatest strengths, and the brilliant ways they do this on Instant Holograms on Metal Film don't just live up to their legacy -- they push it forward. ~Heather Phares, allmusic.com
Aesop Rock - Black Hole Superette
Aesop Rock's fourth album of the 2020s, Black Hole Superette, is thematically similar to his previous release, Integrated Tech Solutions, which addressed technology's effect on humanity. This time, though, it's more about individual details that make up our daily existence, including the commanding forces of algorithms and advertising, as well as anything else related to consumerism. Like many of Aesop's other efforts, it's also a riveting showcase for his expert storytelling skills, filled with personal anecdotes and tall tales alike. Aesop handled all of the album's production himself this time, and it mainly consists of abstract synth funk and psychedelic boom bap, with the percussive "Movie Night" inspired by go-go. Similar to the way his rhymes seem to go on endless tangents yet remain specific, his beats are a bit abstract but stay on target, and they complement the raps perfectly. Black Hole Superette is yet another successful Aesop Rock record which artfully details and comments on the remarkable aspects of everyday life. ~Paul Simpson, allmusic.com
Ty Segall — Possession
Ty Segall has a restless musical mind that makes him hard to pin down. Apart from his bread-and-butter, amped-up, and unhinged garage punk, he's liable to pop up playing heavy metal, synth pop, folk/rock, or even make a record that's only percussion, like 2024's Love Rudiments. Possession is something a little different than anything this sonic chameleon has made yet, even as it contains many elements of his core sound, like overdriven guitars and hearty vocals. The main thing that sets the record apart is the river of steady confidence that runs through the music like iron bars. The record is built around a base of acoustic guitars strumming out the rhythm, electric guitars slashing across the bow, bass and drums providing a solid foundation, and Segall flying over the top with his best Bolan croon. Every song sports multiple hooks, whether they're the Bowie-esque horns on the title track, the strutting glam riffs of "Buildings," the slinky soft rock electric piano that makes "Fantastic Tomb" a treat, or the tricky interplay between strings, keys, and guitars on "Hotel," that shows all the psychedelic pretenders what a headswirl really feels like. It wouldn't be right to say that everything he's done up to this point was leading to this one particular album, but it also doesn't seem all that wrong, either. It's definitely a milestone and a career highlight, as well as a release that anyone who likes real, live breathing and bleeding rock & roll should enjoy. ~Tim Sendra, allmusic.com
