A couple of moments aside, ‘A Fine Mess’ EP is a tedious exercise in Interpol-by-numbers.
A collaborative effort between Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, ‘boygenius’ is an imperious display of empathy and brilliant songwriting.
‘Bottle It In’ is the first Kurt Vile record to potentially split its audience, despite its admirable and mostly successful attempts at expanding his sonic boundaries.
After an excellent opening salvo, Interpol’s sixth album ‘Marauder’ suffers from monotony and a critical lack of ideas.
‘Exile In Guyville’, Liz Phair’s witty, detailed, and emotional vision of male-dominated society, makes living in one much easier.
Lindsey Jordan’s first full Snail Mail album ‘Lush’ is an intensely detailed document of life and love while adjusting to adulthood, and fulfills all the breathless predictions made for it.
Matador’s 25th anniversary box set is both a formal acknowledgment of the importance of Liz Phair to American indie history, as well as her early experimental songwriting.
The risky sonic gamble made on ‘Beyondless’ pays off handsomely, resulting in the most consistent, dark and heavy Iceage album so far.
Yo La Tengo’s 15th studio album might not make you want to man the barricades, like the classic Sly Stone album with which it shares a name, but it could lead to personal enlightenment and comfort.
Following up a highly promising debut with a mature and accomplished second effort, Lucy Dacus’ ‘Historian’ is one of the musical triumphs of 2018.
