Vampire Weekend Return to Form While Adding New Wrinkles
Only God Was Above Us demonstrates that melodic, clean guitars are welcome but optional and that Vampire Weekend have plenty of other tricks up their sleeves.
Chris Conaton
Chris Conaton graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Michigan State University. After bouncing around in several different music teaching jobs as well as a stint working at Lowe's in Michigan, he moved to Houston, Texas. He now teaches elementary school music in suburban Houston. Aside from a couple of minor freelance gigs and keeping a blog specifically for writing reviews, PopMatters is his first regular writing gig.
Call Me Spinster’s Debut Pleasantly Jumps Through Genres
Indie pop’s Call Me Spinster possess rock-solid songwriting. Regardless of genre, they have a strong command of melody and an ear for intriguing arrangements.
The Dead South Return with a Dark Bluegrass-Adjacent LP
The Dead South’s Chains & Stakes picks up where their last LP, 2019’s Sugar & Joy, left off. These 13 tracks lean toward hard-edged bluegrass and dark stories.
Grandaddy Try Country-Style Ballads With Mixed Results
With Blu Wav, their first album in seven years, Grandaddy ask, “What if we just forget the upbeat synth-rock this time and make sad ballads?”
Laura Jane Grace Brings Great Songs to ‘Hole in My Head’
Hole in My Head is full of good songs, and Laura Jane Grace is an excellent songwriter with intriguing lyrical turns of phrase and an ear for catchy melodies.
Cake’s Motorcade of Generosity Previewed the Mid-’90s Alt-Rock Explosion
Cake were perfectly positioned for mid-’90s success. Artists willing to experiment and incorporate different genres were about to ascend briefly in popular music.
Back-to-Basics ‘Saviors’ Is Green Day’s Strongest LP in Years
Saviors is the best Green Day album in at least 15 years. It’s refreshing to hear them on Saviors, where they sound focused and energized again.
The Polyphonic Spree Return with Lovely Melodies
As a Tim DeLaughter solo album featuring guest musicians from the Polyphonic Spree, this would be an easier sell. As a full-band LP, it feels undercooked.
A Full Remix Makes Deafheaven’s ‘Sunbather’ Worth Revisiting
Deafheaven’s Sunbather was the first time a black metal act broke through the clutter of heavy metal releases to be appreciated outside of the genre’s fans.
Jenn Champion Sings About Death With a Synthpop Vibe
Jenn Champion’s melodies and superb synths keep things lively on Last Night of Sadness, even when heavy. It’s a thoughtful, harrowing, and catchy album.
‘Chutes Too Narrow’ Remains the Shins’ Defining Work 20 Years Later
The Shins’ Chutes Too Narrow is one of the defining albums of the indie rock era when the genre grew alongside independent, online publications and hipsterism.
Vanishing Twin Balance Grooves, Ambience, and Psychedelia
Vanishing Twin’s Afternoon X is a worthwhile musical journey through a wealth of different ambient, psychedelic, and groove-based sounds.