Sera Cahoone – “I’ve Missed You All These Years” review

Sera Cahoone is a 51 year old singer/songwriter from Littleton, Colorado who introduced herself 2 decades ago with an eponymous full-length studio debut. She has since been signed to Sub Pop Records, who dropped the sophomore effort Only as the Day is Long & Deer Creek Canyon to wide praise. Last time we heard from her was in 2017 when From Where I Started came out under her own label Lady Muleskinner Records. Almost a decade later & she’s returning to Sub Pop to distribute her 5th studio LP.

“High & Low” kicks things off with an Americana opener singing about a relationship that feels like a rollercoaster the way it’s constantly going up & down whereas “Say Something” combines an electric guitar with some pianos admitting she hasn’t been herself in 2026 although she would very much to try. “No One Like You” goes for a singer/songwriter vibe depicts a couple sticking together through the roughest times while “Not How I Hoped” sings about the disappointment that comes with relationships.

Meanwhile on “Horse Runnin’”, we have Sera expressions her infatuation over someone she met going for a more contemporary country direction instrumentally just before “Pulling Up Roots” reminiscent of the late Loretta Lynn sings about overcoming all the bullshit life throws at you. “Supposed to Be” comes to terms with the past taking more inspiration from singer/songwriter leading into “Hits Right” singing about the relatable feeling of being out of place amongst a group of people going Americana.

“Tangled Nights” continues the remaining moments of this album’s final act yearning for intimacy over a guitar, bass, Hammond organ & accordion while “I’m No Fool” sings about feeling uncertain towards her partner spending a few minutes getting back in her Americana for the last time. The closing track “Something Good” wraps up I’ve Missed You All These Years with this 3 & a half minute singer/songwriter outro describing an unexpected love that brings fulfillment in her life.

A lot has happened to Sera Cahoone since From Where I Started whether it be the deaths of her best friend alongside her father & dog to developing her skills as a producer, coming back to Sub Pop after feeling like an impostor during her initial tenure for the label reintroducing fans to the truest version of herself artistically. Her production solidly combines elements of blues, folk, pop, Americana, alt-country & singer/songwriter to help the world find comfort in community & rediscovering ourselves by connecting with the people we love in the midst of the storm clearing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Lex Walton – “Ultimate Love Forever” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Pleasant Hill, California singer/songwriter & actress Lex Walton. In almost a decade, she has dropped a total of 8 full-lengths & 4 extended plays including the Shame Music series as well as Girlfriends & most notably I Want You to Kill Me. I was however interested in learning that Ultimate Love Forever would reach the same pedestal the previously mentioned album did upon learning she had signed to the prominent Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records after her apartment had tragically burned down.

“For Thee I Sing” begins with this slacker rock intro interpolating “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” Samuel Francis Smith & discussing the US enacting fascist overreach whereas “Hipster Runoff” gives off a garage rock revival vibe critiquing Gavin McInnes. “Yr Op-Ed Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” includes an insane guitar solo towards the end after downing some bourbon while “USA = Fag Nation” suggests the world would be a better place if different people got shot.

Continuing the 2nd half of Ultimate Love Forever, the song “I Wish I Was an M80” sings about alienation blending slacker rock with indietronica & power pop while the lo-fi singer/songwriter crossover “Adrian Borland Will Have His Revenge on London” confesses she was on the verge of death when writing this. The title track properly concludes Ultimate Love Forever singing about the only thing she wants being a kind of affection that would last eternally.

I Want You to Kill Me still remains the most groundbreaking statement in Lex Walton’s decade-long career, but her Sub Pop debut Ultimate Love Forever will certainly appeal to fans of Jonathan Richman’s early material or Dollhouse. The slacker rock, noise pop, power pop, garage rock revival, noise rock, singer/songwriter & dance-punk revival production basically providing commentary on society’s decay from the perspective of a transgender woman living in a transphobic America.

Score: 4/5

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Sweeping Promises – “You Say I Romanticize” review

Sweeping Promises are a post-punk/art punk duo from Lawrence, Kansas consisting of guitarist & drummer Caufield Schnug as well as bassist & vocalist Lira Mondal. Making their debut in the summer of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic with Hunger for a Way Out, they would go on to follow it up in 2023 with the sophomore effort Good Living is Coming For You & the positive reception both of those receive landed the pairing a deal with Sub Pop Records. The teasers building up towards their 3rd studio LP gave me hope of them getting the exposure they deserve & I had to find out if that’s the case or not.

The lead single “Shooting Shadows” wasn’t too bad of an artsy post-punk intro describing one’s personal space being invaded whereas “My Friend’s an Entomologist” sings about having a colleague who’s an expert regarding invasive species. “Last Man” thematically bases itself around Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name discussing a cholera outbreak & after the “Rapture, Or…” takes inspiration from Siouxsie Sioux to tackle apocalyptic themes, “Abduction on Camera” keeps the post-punk vibes for a powerful anti-ICE anthem.

“My Anchoress” kicks off the 2nd half conceptually centering itself around Julian of Norwich leading into the final single “Cocoon” develops a concert staple of theirs written after the Hunger for a Way Out sessions in a disarmingly dead-simple way. “Accent” maintains a post-punk sound singing about words not landing when falling out of their mouths & once “Does He Want to Be the Weatherman?” cheerfully uses meteorology as an unusual metaphor, “Write Lightly” concludes the album responding to those saying their perspective’s compromised.

Conceived during an 18 month period, the Sweeping Promises take the ethos they’ve developed & turn it upside-down for debatably the most frenzied half hour of their 6 year career marking their debut for Sub Pop Records. The post-punk influences are significantly minimized within the production compared to their earlier material, emphasizing the art punk & indie rock elements for a tribute to the chaos of creation & collaboration under shifting circumstances.

Score: 4/5

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Downtown Boys – “Public Luxury” review

The Downtown Boys are a hardcore punk rock band from Providence, Rhode Island consisting of alto saxophonist Will Cioffi, guitarist Joey DeFrancesco, tenor saxophonist Emmett Fitzgerald, drummer Norlan Olivo, bassist Dan Schleifer & lead singer Victoria Ruiz. Making their eponymous full-length debut back in 2012, they went on to follow it up with the sophomore effort Full Communism as well as the Sub Pop Records debut Cost of Living. Almost a decade later, they’re returning for their 4th studio LP.

“No More Jodas” begins with an urgent lead single singing in Spanish about this person being the disaster Victoria wants prior to her stating that “The City Begins” where many assumed it would end over some punk rock riffs. The 3rd single “Sirena” uses a handful of metaphors to symbolize empowerment singing in Spanish once again dabbling with new wave just before the 4th & final “Yellow Sun” addresses Israel occupying Lebanon for the past couple years giving a shot at goth pop.

Meanwhile on “Viva La Rosa”, we have Victoria & Joey breathing new life into a song that was initially conceived during their Malportado Kids days take inspiration from skate punk leading into “Enemy Without” throwing the it back to the Downtown Boys’ earlier material stylistically. The 2nd single “You’re a Ghost” combines dance-punk & industrial rock so they can critique the rise of fascism in the United States while “Albuterol” treads the synth-punk waters singing about smoking in bed.

“Mi Concha” wraps up the final moments of Public Luxury with another Malportado Kids rendition singing about Victoria’s shell not being white enough for others amplifying the new wave elements while “Public Works” starts with some galloping punk riffs & commanding vocal performances preceding the synthesizers & even an occasional saxophone. The title track spends the album’s last couple minutes blending more synths with a piano for a delicately electronic outro.

Amplifying the primary post-punk influences of their 2017 debut for Sub Pop, the Downtown Boys make their return after 9 long years with the most expansive entry in the band’s entire catalog & definitely the strongest since getting signed. They also incorporate influences of hardcore punk, garage punk, art punk, dance-punk, industrial rock, new wave, synth-punk & skate punk to make some bilingual political commentary regarding the people having it all in the end.

Score: 4/5

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Slift – “Fantasia” review

Slift is a heavy psych trio from Toulouse, Occitanie, France consisting of guitarist/vocalist Jean Fossat, bassist/vocalist Rémi Fossat & drummer Canek Flores. Emerging in 2017 off the band’s debut extended play Space is the Key as well as their 2018 full-length debut La Planète Inexplorée & the widely praised 2020 sophomore effort Ummon, they returned 4 years later by dropping an equally celebrated Sub Pop Records debut Ilion & are looking to outdo both of those with their 4th studio LP.

The title track opens up with an epic 9 minute intro taking some inspiration from doom metal signing about rising above our pain & finding a fire for our souls whereas “Corrupted Sky” describes a fictional town plagued by a sense of xenophobic unknowing. “The Village” continues the story finding this bigoted city welcoming an outsider like poison over progressive instrumentation just before the lead single “A Storm of Wings” blends stoner metal, progressive rock & heavy psych so our protagonist can depict the town’s downfall.

“Orbius Tertius” kicks off the 2nd half taking heavy inspiration from the late Jorge Louis Borges’ short story of the same name using idealism to ask a multitude of questions while “Waiting Man” feels like a mix of Pink Floyd & Masters of Reality-era Black Sabbath, realizing the world our hero was committed to was a lie. The 2nd & final single “The Day of Execution” again bases itself in the styles of stoner metal, progressive rock & heavy psych singing about time passing all of us prior to “Secret Mirror” sending off Fantasia with an astounding space rock outro.

Ditching the sci-fi narrative of their Sub Pop debut a couple years earlier, Slift’s follow-up ironically bares it’s name after a description of the band’s previous output for their leanest statement yet improving above Ilion & dethroning Ummon for their magnum opus. The production captures their versatility eclectically varying between space rock, stoner rock, stoner metal, heavy psych, post-metal, progressive rock, progressive metal, post-rock, doom metal & post-hardcore for a tale of overcoming international upheaval.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Bug Club – “Every Single Muscle” review

This is the 5th studio LP from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom duo The Bug Club. Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Sam Willmett & bassist/vocalist Tilly Harris, they emerged earlier in the decade off 3 extended plays & a couple albums preceding Sub Pop Records signing them a few years ago already. Their debut for the label On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System & the pairing previous full-length Very Human Features were both positively received, returning 12 months since the latter for Every Single Muscle.

“Miss Wales 2012” begins with this chugging garage punk intro referencing a competition both Tilly & Sam have actually won whereas “A Good Day for Dying” made for an apathetically humorous 3rd & final single. “Make It Count” finds the pair trading lines with each other over indie rock instrumentation depicting 2 lovers who have absolutely no idea what to do just before “Cut to Black” takes inspiration from both NEU! & Sparks for 90 seconds.

Meanwhile on “Full Range of Motion”, we have The Bug Club taking a page out of the Minutemen playbook for a post-punk revival tune with some occasional slacker rock undertones while “Pretty as a Magazine” bemoans the fact people don’t know what to do with their own bodies a lot similarly to what “Make It Count” did earlier. “Look Like Me” sings about each member’s own appearance while on “How Can We Be Friends” explains that both members are preoccupied with others.

The title track ends the 1st half of Every Single Muscle on some egg punk vibes singing about feeling strong in all ligaments of their bodies while “Shiny & Wet” experiments with a bit of a blues rock sound wanting to see one’s organs since apologies don’t mean shit to them. “Semi-Automatic” treads garage punk territory explaining that they only play guitars & give 0 fucks while “In My Short Life” sings about them using chart toes in times of distress.

“Watching the Omnibus” hits us with a a garage rock-tinged lead single filled with self-deprecating lyrics & after “It’s Our Manager David” shrugs off literally every single question their manager asks the band regarding what they’ve been doing with their day, the 2nd single “Yours (If You Want Me)” gives off a more introspectively tender & anxious approach singing about how neither one of them necessarily want to be adored.

The song “All My Clothes Fell Off” winds down the last moments of Every Single Muscle slowing down the pacing to build up towards a crescendo reminiscent of classic rock music while the penultimate track “3rd Best Friend” sings about an individual they loved like a close colleague. The outro “My Uncle Warren Drives a Passat” switches things up replacing the guitars with pianos singing about how if all of us were made for dying alone, then neither one of them belong here.

Looking at themselves more in a way an alien might probe a captive specimen on an intergalactic gurney instead of introspection, The Bug Club’s 3rd opus under the Sub Pop banner improves above both it’s predecessors sounding noticeably punkier than their previous output. The human form & condition are both prodded & inspected from every angle throughout the course of Every Single Muscle blending indie rock garage punk, garage rock revival, egg punk, post-punk revival & slacker rock.

Score: 4/5

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Telehealth – “Green World Image” review

Telehealth is a post-punk/synthpop duo from Seattle, Washington consisting of Alexander Attitude & Kendra Cox. Their 2023 debut Content Oscillator properly introduced themselves combining both of those previously mentioned styles with new wave as well as egg punk, garnering the interest of locally historic indie label Sub Pop Records & they were officially signed a few months earlier. So for Alex & Kendra to make their debut for the imprint through their sophomore effort seemed like it could be the pairing’s biggest breakthrough yet.

After the “(user onboarding sequence)” intro, “The Telehealth Shuffle” begins with this compositionally playful & quirky dance-punk opener whereas “Kokomo 2” goes for a new wave/egg punk vibe singing about a machine rendering a senseless future to be useless. The 3rd single “Donor Country (A gOoD cAuSe)” asks why can’t we coexist & trying to find some charitable context leading into “Age of Muralcide” embracing a synth punk sound to explain capitalism & consumerism.

The 2nd single “Things I’ve Killed” embraces the a heavy Devo influence singing about a subreddit blaming millennials for all the industries that they blame for destroying prior to them asking for the “Cost of Inaction” to kick off the 2nd half incorporating elements of new wave, synthpop & dance punk. “Silver Spoon” humorously sings about being unable to afford death & taxes anymore considering everything’s getting more expensive while the lead single “Cool Job” describes looking for an occupation that would actually be fun.

“Yassify Me” for the 4th & final single explains the result of a $0 budget, a dream & Kendra’s aunt Becky absolutely committing to the bit while “Maria, Machine” takes inspiration from Devo once more with hints of Sparks or Zolar X. The penultimate song finds the duo embracing their “Villain Era” & confidently looking to take the crown while the outro “Living, Laughing, Loving, Trying” pretty much sums up the way most of us have been doing for the past year & a half.

Continuing their mission of financializing any difference of opinion over how the in-shambles local “music scene” should proceed, Telehealth’s 2nd album & Sub Pop debut vertically integrates itself towards the average Seattleite & consumers around the globe who are also ready to financialize their own passion for music. Green World Image has a more predominant post-punk feeling than synthpop except they’re progressively evolving beyond both styles in favor of exploring art punk, synth punk, dance-punk, egg punk, new wave & art rock.

Score: 4/5

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Weird Nightmare – “Hoopla” review

This is the sophomore effort from Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter Weird Nightmare a.k.a. Alex Edkins. Known for being the frontman of METZ & Lids, he would also become 1/2 of the experimental rock duo Noble Rot prior to making his eponymous full-length debut under Sub Pop Records in 2023 to moderate reception. I did however appreciate the noisy indie rock direction Alex went for with it including the secondary influences of power pop & garage rock, so him returning 4 years later by dropping Hoopla was gonna be an interesting growth to witness.

“Headful of Rain” opens up with this alternative rock intro singing about wanting to write a love song without him ending up scrapping it whereas the 2nd single “Might See You There” gives off some power pop vibes portraying himself to be coming home from what I have to presume to be the road touring. “Baby Don’t” fuses elements of pop rock & alt-rock singing about this woman being everything he wanted out of her while the lead single “Forever Elsewhere” describes things to be darker by the night & love overcoming all soon.

Reaching the halfway point, “Never in Style” embraces a bit of a garage rock sound rebelliously singing about him never following what’s trendy just before the 3rd single “Pay No Mind” explains being so broke to the point where he can’t even pay attention to the time to begin the 2nd leg of the LP & assuring he’ll be done in the end. “If You Should Turn Away” however keeps it going forward with this gentle, summery aura realizing how it feels to love someone & fuck up his shot.

“Little Strange” winds down Hoopla’s last few moments taking some inspiration from The Beach Boys’ surf rock output during the early stages of their career particularly when the chorus hits & after “Bright City Lights” featuring Julianna Riolino finds the pair embracing the pop rock influences even further for this warm duet, the 4th & final single “Where I Belong” introspectively sings about wanting to be with his 2 children to send off the album.

Representing a huge leap forward in Weird Nightmare’s sonic palette & emotional vulnerability, Hoopla combines the aesthetics of 60s psychedelia & the 90s DIY movement to lean heavier on his power pop, slacker rock, jangle pop, pop punk, noise pop, garage rock revival & garage punk influences for a half hour statement regarding the love Alex Edkins still has for the world looking to shine a bright light of optimism in these dark times. The type of artistic development he displays here is what I love to hear & can definitely imagine it getting play over in the west coast this summer.

Score: 4/5

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Sunn O))) – Self-Titled review

Sunn O))) is a drone metal duo from Los Angeles, California consisting of bassists/guitarists Greg Anderson & Stephen O’Malley. Their full-length debut ØØ Void & the sophomore effort Flight of the Behemoth respectively were both solid, dropping the latter under Southern Lord Records. White1 alongside its sequel White2 & more specifically Black One all increased their popularity, the latter being my favorite in the Sunn O))) catalog. Oracle was great too, following it up with their 2nd best in my opinion: Monoliths & Dimensions. 观世音 however might be the band’s worst, coming off the more positively received Life Metal & Pyroclasts to make their Sub Pop Records debut with their 11th studio LP.

“XXANN” epically kicks things off with this 18 & a half minute drone metal composition whereas the doom metal-influenced “Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?” comes through with an ode to the pioneering black metal band Venom. The hypnotically repetitive 2nd & final single “Butch’s Guns” ends the 1st leg containing some of the strongest riffs throughout the full-length prior to “Mindrolling” experimenting with nature recordings. “Everrett Moses” continues the other half blending doom metal & dark ambient while “Glory Black” ends with a fusion of drone metal, ambient, nature recordings & impressionism reminiscent of Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version.

Life Metal was easily the most I’ve personally enjoyed a Sunn O))) album since Monoliths & Dimensions, but Pyroclasts was almost as great & this new eponymous offering from the drone metal veterans demonstrates Greg Anderson & Stephen O’Malley willingness to evolve their unmistakable sound into bold new forms. Their Sub Pop debut predominantly takes it back to their roots m outside of the dark ambient, nature recordings, drone, doom metal, ambient & impressionism undertones handling all of the instrumentation by themselves rather than bringing some outside collaborators in.

Score: 4.5/5

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waterbaby – “Memory Be a Blade” review

Kendra Egerbladh a.k.a. waterbaby is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden whom the Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records signed in the summer of 2023. Her debut extended play Foam followed right away later & left a great deal of listeners divided, although I could see the artistic potential she had fusing alt-pop as well as bedroom pop & alternative R&B. She has since released half of her 2nd EP as singles between last May & the previous month, looking to outdo herself nearly 33 months afterwards.

We get some pianos all over the intro “Sink” singing about the steady waters asking her to either leave or believe whereas the title track blends chamber pop, bedroom pop & bossa nova expresses her desire to be seen as someone worthy. “Clay” featuring her brother ttoh combines art pop, chamber pop, chamber folk, folktronica & bedroom pop to look back at a past break-up while “Beck n Call” also featuring ttoh fuses sophisti-pop, bedroom pop, jazz pop, pop rap & neo-soul so they can talk about their hearts being on lock.

“Minnie” starts the 2nd half of Memory Be a Blade by incorporating some strings singing about not wanting to disappoint all the people she made into believers just before “Minnie Too” goes for a jazzier vibe yearning to get away. The art rock, chamber pop, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop lead single “Amiss” asks all sorts of questions regarding love while “Srs Ice” finishes the EP suggesting that she should build an attic inside of her own mind over some horns.

Even I would say Foam was a pretty average alt-pop/bedroom pop EP when it dropped a few summers ago, but the teasers building up towards Memory Be a Blade had me hoping waterbaby would display some artistic growth & I hope she capitalizes that whenever her debut album comes. The production’s noticeably darker take on the styles of chamber pop, bedroom pop, bossa nova, art pop, chamber folk, folktronica, sophisti-pop, jazz pop, pop rap, neo-soul, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop improving her songwriting by using a previous breakup as a base to make the lyrics hit deeper.

Score: 3.5/5

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