Forth Wanderers – “The longer this goes on” review

Forth Wanderers are a Midwest emo/indie rock band from Montclair, New Jersey consisting of guitarist/songwriter Ben Special, guitarist Duke Greene, bassist Noah Schifrin, drummer Zach Lorelli & lead singer Ava Trilling. Introducing themselves in 2013 off their debut EP Mahogany followed by their full-length debut Tough Love & their 2nd EP Slop, the quintet would break up in the summer 2018 after Ava had some mental health issues following an eponymous sophomore effort. 7 years later, Sub Pop Records has brought them back together for their 3rd studio LP.

“To Know Me / To Love Me” fuses indie rock & noise pop to sing about knowing what this person in mind already thinks of her & suggests that they might as well admit to her face whereas “Call You Back” returns to their signature indie rock sound advising to leave her be since she has it really badly promising she’ll return the call later. “Honey” works in a reverberated guitar melody using the condiment as a simile for watching everything slow down prior to the indie rock/post-punk revival crossover “7 Months” singing about spending weeks laying in bed & nights without any sort of sleep whatsoever.

Ava & company bring a jauntier vibe to “Spit” wanting to be told how she felt having this individual’s name in her mouth & making it an effort to get their name out of it while “Springboard” continues to delve back into their indie rock roots asking if an unspecified person likes to watch her dance for the reason being that she could get in the mood being taken piece by piece. “Make Me” shows off some minor country & blues influences singing about being lied to just before “Barnard” blends surf rock & pop wanting to forgive someone she met when she was young.

“Bluff” was the 3rd & final single to be teased during The longer this goes on’s rollout with Ava admitting it’s fucked up that she would rather leave a person lonely than have to have her deception called out while “Don’t Go Looking” finishes the album by singing about wanting what’s hers being taken from her since it doesn’t work for her anymore & suggesting it would be a waste of time if one went snooping around because of the fact all is buried deep down.

In spite of Forth Wanderers sounding more self-aware & self-assured than ever, Ben has already clarified that the band hasn’t fully reunited since they’re still figuring out what’s next whether it be more music or tours. Sub Pop Records nonetheless allows the indie rock outfit to further distance themselves from the prominent Midwest emo sound of their debut in favor of indie rock similarly to what self-titled did with the exception it’s indie emo undertones are replaced with indie pop, noise pop, post-punk revival, grunge, shoegaze, country & blues, slacker rock, dream pop & jangle pop.

Score: 4/5

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Frankie Cosmos – “Different Talking” review

Frankie Cosmos is a 31 year old singer/songwriter & musician from New York City releasing her first couple EPs Zentropy & Fit Me In ahead of the full-length studio debut Next Thing. The latter going on to catch the attention of Sub Pop Records, who signed her in the spring of 2017 & has remained on the Seattle indie label to this day. Vessel, the Haunted Items tetralogy, Close It Quietly & Inner World Peace have all been well-received in the bedroom pop subgenre of indie pop albeit not as much as Zentropy was. Something that I was hoping her 5th studio LP would change going into it & based on both singles that were teased ahead of time.

“Pressed Flower” opens with some acoustics singing about gentrification & rebirth whereas “1 of Each” confesses that she doesn’t know what she wants & not even gravity can hold onto her. “Against the Grain” maintains a steady indie rock direction singing about her preference of being along as of late while the 2nd & final single “Bitch Heart” finds herself missing who she was because she can’t go a day without being on her phone.

We get some synthesizers & jangly guitars colliding on “Porcelain” to address dissociation just before “1! Grey! Hair!” maintains a general indie rock vibe singing about the idea of growing up hardly crossing her mind & suggesting heartbreak occasionally means heartthrob. “Vanity” was a great lead single pulling from indie pop feeling as if she’s another victim of another’s careless futility leading into “Not Long” turning back to an indie rock direction singing about the relatable desire to stay in bed all day.

“Margareta” works in these warm riffs that give off a summertime feeling briefly summarizing our main character of the song rolling down the street in a run down car with her jacket hanging in the backseat while “Your Take On” delves further down the indie rock sound painting a love interest as a villain because it makes her worthy of being cherished. “High 5 Handshake” executes some of the most calmly passionate vocal performances throughout the album portraying, but then “You Become” laments over a friendship dissolving as a result of said former friend becoming a person she doesn’t recognize.

Dismissing the presumption of her passing away, Frankie rather insists she was taking more of a “Joy Ride” chillin’ in a bike lane of a restaurant since that’s where everything goes down while the twee-driven “Tomorrow” sings about not backing out from a show she has to perform in 24 hours. “Wonderland” continues down the final moments of Different Talking singing about getting to know herself more than with time while “Life Back” recalls feeling like she wasn’t gonna reclaim herself the day prior, feeling completely fine after some time to recollect. “Pothole” lastly caps it all off with colorful death of ego optimistically finding meaning in the world as we know it.

Vastly themed around growing up & figuring out how to know yourself, Different Talking redeems Frankie Cosmos from the lukewarm reception of her output since her label deal with the most insularly written AND sonically varied material of her entire career. Primarily combining indie rock & indie pop together, she furthermore takes the opportunity to focus less on twee pop than Inner World Peace did almost 3 years ago leaving the comforting bravery of her early adulthood behind due to the epiphany of that same person always living inside you no matter how much we change.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Bug Club – “Very Human Features” review

The Bug Club is an indie rock duo from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom consisting of guitarist/vocaliat Sam Willmett & bassist/vocalist Tilly Harris. Emerging earlier in the decade off 3 EPs & a couple full-lengths, they would go on to sign with Sub Pop Records last summer for their previous LP On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System becoming widely received for it’s additional influences of garage rock along with post-punk revival & slacker rock. It’s been over 9 months since they made their debut for the label & are back in time for summer on their 4th album.

“Full Grown Man” picks up on the garage rock vibes singing about not knowing how to live alone whereas “Twirling in the Middle” incorporates more raw, energetic, simply employed, sloppy & fuzzbox-distorted guitars to do the rocksteady. “Jealous Boy” was a great lead single choice addressing expectations & comparisons with a loud-quiet-loud garage rock structure to it leading into while the vividly post-punk “Young Reader” suggests you don’t have to live like this since it’s a matter of principle.

Sam & Tilly experiment with glam rock during “Beep Boop Computers” singing about interpersonal relationships & experiences just before the title track subtitled “Muck” combining some of the folkier spoken word elements of Rare Birds: Hour of Song so they can concentrate deeply on one’s place in the world today. “When the Little Choo Choo Train Toots His Little Horn” pleads to be dunked in the water again due to them still feeling like monsters while the 2nd single “How to Be a Confidante” teaches everyone what they gotta do to become a close friend.

“Living in the Future” heads back to the garage taking pride in themselves for being overly focused on what might happen down the line instead of the current moment, but then “Tales of a Visionary Teller” refuses to show the taste of bitter practice offending their inner senses under any condition. “The Sound of Communism” aesthetically has an admirable Paul McCartney flare to it having fun with no regrets until “Blame Me” admits to them not believing in social consciousness with some catchy guitar melodies.

The 3rd & final single “Appropriate Emotions” manages to pull the suitable moods for a homosapien to feel in situations like the one they’re in as we speak sounding completely removed from the human experience as they possibly could’ve & despite “Have U Ever Been 2 Wales?” not being included, I still wanted to give it some props for being a joyous new ode to The Bug Club’s beloved home country chock full of regionally referential songwriting.

Presenting themselves as a collective mind even with only 2 members remaining, the band’s Sub Pop sophomore effort expands on the experimental tones of their 1st offering for the label getting more layered & complex than they did almost a year ago. Steve & Tilly create more of a pastoral atmosphere with the raw indie rock, post-punk, garage rock, slacker rock & occasional glam rock production, amplifying the storytelling through the songwriting looking closer at the smaller things in life & delving deeper into the creativity they’ve connected themselves to almost a decade after forming.

Score: 4/5

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Alan Sparhawk – “With Trampled by Turtles” review

Duluth, Minnesota singer/songwriter Alan Sparhawk recruiting local band Trampled by Turtles to produce his sophomore effort. One of whom was the lead singer of the slowcore band Low breaking up in 2022 & the other is a bluegrass folk sextet with 9 full-lengths under their belt already. Alan signed to Sub Pop Records for his solo effort White Roses, My God met with mixed reception due to its leanings towards alt-pop, indietronica, alternative R&B, trap, minimal wave & cloud rap compared to the ambient inspired Solo Guitar turning 20 next summer. With Trampled by Turtles based on the singles had me thinking it could outdo both of them & that’s why I dove right into it.

The lead single “Stranger” was a great Americana/indie folk intro further pulling from progressive bluegrass singing about having to go through some dangerous things than you thought you’d have to whereas “Too High” addressed a part of this person that nobody knows other than Alan acknowledging their blindness instead of imbecility. “Heaven” sings of the pearly gates being a lonely place if you’re alone prior to the alt-country/chamber folk hybrid “Not Broken”eventually learning something I’ve potentially heard.

“Screaming Song” works in some prominent acoustics feeling like he’d never stop screaming this individual’s name when they flew out the window & into the sunset but after a remixed version of “Get Still” from Alan’s debut, “Princess Road Surgery” asks what this girl see in adversity stripping back the sound further. “Don’t Take Your Light” tells God he can be patient & hopeful with an alt-country flare until “Torn & in Ashes” wants to know when the last word will be as the first because of getting the same answer repeatedly.

When you think of the fact Low had mentored Trampled by Turtles & had performed with each other several times, there’s no doubt in my mind Alan’s follow-up to his debut last fall feels like a more collective, communal, fraternal & empathetic entry in his catalog than it’s predecessor. His friends & loved ones who’ve always been beside him make his sentiments drenched in Americana, indie folk, progressive bluegrass, alt-country & chamber folk seem as if they aren’t his alone regardless of Alan being the primary vocalist.

Score: 4.5/5

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Yuno – “Blest” review

Yuno is a 34 year old psychedelic indie pop singer/songwriter from Jacksonville, Florida by way of The Bronx, New York not to be confused with comedy rapper Yuno Miles considering he signed to Sub Pop Records in the summer of 2018 for his debut EP Moodie taking it’s name after an original moniker Yuno Moodie later shortening it. However, he’s returning to show his growth personally & artistically for a full-length debut studio album of his own following several years of inactivity.

The title track brings together alternative R&B & indie pop facing the overwhelming rush of emotions that comes with falling in love with somebody head-on whereas “We Belong” dabbles with rock a little singing about being back where he feels like he & his partner should be. “Massive” continues the indie pop & rock hybrids having a feeling in his soul that the bane of staying young is gettin’ older not understanding why it’s taking over while the final single “Unfair” goes for a dream pop direction singing about it not being right that he & his partner never had a chance.

“Perfect Pear” sounds reminiscent to P.M. Dawn during the duo’s final years actively releasing music while “Fall Apart” sings about the walls closing in him & his partner having time to kill. “Worst of Times” acknowledges how hard it is to be here with all the bullshit going on today prior to “True” breezily captures the tension of a relationship caught between misunderstanding & reconciliation. “Gimme Ocean” psychedelically asks for the ocean waves to make him float to his romantic interest & the closer “Blitz!” sings about people hating him from the bleachers trying to keep it peaceful.

Transforming the emo-tinged suburban malaise of Moodie into more expansively widescreen pop drama suited for big moves & bigger stages, the kaleidoscopic sound he devised as a millennial hermit in his childhood bedroom in Florida has since broadened his horizons. Blest bids for love & connection which especially in the fractured era of social media have resonated with many listeners who find solace in his vulnerability imbued with elements of dream pop, rock music, trap & psychedelia.

Score: 4/5

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Lael Neale – “Altogether Stranger” review

Orange, Virginia singer/songwriter Lael Neale with her 4th studio LP. Starting out a decade ago by pouring our her indie folk & alt-country debut I’ll Be Your Man, she subsequently signed to Sub Pop Records for her sophomore effort Acquainted with Night focused more on minimal synth, bedroom pop, contemporary folk, dream pop and hypnagogic pop & Star Eaters Delight expanding in favor of twee pop, chamber pop, ambient pop, neo-psychedelia and ethereal wave respectively. 2 years later & she’s returning for Altogether Stranger.

“Wild Flower” hooks up some claps & an organ to start singing about eating her words & wasting away whereas “All Good Things Will Come Pass” strips it back to an electric guitar acknowledging the inevitable demise of everything. “Down on the Freeway” was solid indie pop single asking if you’re gonna follow & if anyone would miss her wanting out of the city, but then the piano-driven “Sleep Through the Long Night” wanting what she can’t find.

The organs come back in the fold for “Come On” explaining a bell that never rang will claim to call the new day in just before “Tell Me How to Be Here” fuses singer/songwriter, indie folk & bedroom pop painting a stark & haunting portrait of her Los Angeles return. “New Ages” tackles the concept of lust over electric guitars & organs clashing while “All is Never Lost” minimally sings about there always being a wheel that turning us, which leads into “There From Here” finishing with more minimalism breaking down a purgatory we pay for.

Lael’s 3rd offering under Sub Pop covers an unexpected breadth of musical & lyrical terrain like neo-psychedelia, art pop, indie pop, singer/songwriter, indie folk, synthpop, indietronica, & minimal synth. She additionally vacillates between the questionably reconcilable states of childlike optimism & existential melancholy, uncovering the extraordinary within the mundane by tackling themes of polarity including country vs. city, humanity vs. technology & isolation vs. society.

Score: 4/5

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Tunde Adebimpe – “Thee Black Boltz” review

Tunde Adebimpe is a 50 year old musician, singer/songwriter & actor from St. Louis, Missouri known for being the co-frontman of TV on the Radio as well as his roles in the 16th Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Homecoming & the brief animated series Lazer Wulf on the Discovery Global-owned Cartoon Network late night block [adult swim]. However, he’s looking to embark on a solo career by signing to Sub Pop Records & putting together a debut album solely under his own name.

After the titular intro, the first song “Magnetic” was a post-punk revival & alternative dance lead single that suits the beginning of the LP rollout singing about thinking of his time & space whereas “Ate the Moon” takes the industrial dance route instrumentally suggesting to call the doctors, preachers & lawyers. “Pinstack” hooks up a prominent electric guitar so he can ask if you’d like to live in a dream, but then “Drop” blends indie pop & neo-soul into 1 singing about rising into the night.

“ILY” gives off a prominent acoustic vibe for a tribute to his wife & French cartoonist Domitille Collardey leading into “The Most” dabbling with synthpop suggesting that the love will live on even if the lover is a liar. “God Knows” delves into the complexities of a bittersweet breakup capturing his vulnerability just before “Blue” might be my least favorite track despite its electronic influences.“Somebody New” throws it back to the 80s bringing indie pop & indietronica together while the minimal “Streetlight Nuevo” wraps it up by riding this rupture until the break of day.

In a lot of ways, the excitement of doing something on his own for the first time ignited a similar spark in him as TV on the Radio’s earlier days. Wilder Zoby’s production prominently goes for an indie rock, art pop & indie pop flare with further influences of indie folk, dance-punk revival, synthpop, indietronica, alternative dance & singer/songwriter addressing themes of the human condition in all its forms under all its stressors both big & small. For this to be his proper introduction as a solo act, Tunde surely desperate grasps onto small moments of joy amidst the dissonance & sadness in any way he could possibly can.

Score: 4/5

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Σtella – “Adagio” review

Here we have the 5th full-length album from Athens, Attica, Greece singer/songwriter Σtella. Introducing herself with an eponymous debut, both it’s follow-ups Works for You & The Break would result in Sub Pop Records signing her and making the Redinho-produced Up & Away a decent debut for the Seattle, Washington indie label. 3 years later, she’s returning by putting out Adagio & the singles teased for it until this point seems like it could shape up to be better than Up & Away or even dethroning The Break for her strongest material.

The title track was a bedroom pop & samba intro asking why she’s being tormented likening herself to a spy with her 400 eyes taking her from A to B whereas “Ta Vimata” sings about the steps bringing her to the narrow path. “Omorfu Mou” finds her wanting her romantic interest when they leave & missing them while she stays just before “Baby Brazil” featuring Las Palabras suggests to let the feeling roll since the individual she has in mind likes control as much as they do.

“Can I Say” asks if she can tell her partner exactly how much she misses them while “80 Days” acoustically sings about going by the rules even if they don’t apply. “Too Poor” groovily explains the way she’s attracted to her lover & after the “Corfu” instrumental cut, the closing track “Caravan” officially wraps up her Sub Pop Records sophomore effort singing about her only real partner in crime at the moment being Father Time itself.

Inspired by an 11-minute boat ride to Anafi roughly 6 years ago, Σtella sounds more at ease & comfortable than she’s ever been on Adagio displaying new approaches to her songwriting. The end result turns out to be a pop LP that feels like a warm blanket due to the way it swaddles its listeners with nylon-string guitars, featherlight percussion, psychedelic keyboards & staccato drums offering a meditation on love, desire, rest & time.

Score: 4/5

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Bria Salmena – “Big Dog” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter Bria Salmena signing to Sub Pop Records for her official solo debut. Coming up as the guitarist/percussionist & co-vocalist for Dear Sister, they would put out 2 full-lengths until their disbandment & she would go on to become the frontwoman of FRIGS as well as forming the country duo Bria with FRIGS guitarist Duncan Jennings putting out a couple mediocre EPs full of covers. Looking to differentiate herself from her side projects, Sub Pop’s bringing her onto the label roster to cement her Big Dog status.

Drastic” begins with this pop rock intro finding herself at an impasse staring at the runway instead of getting on the plane whereas “Backs of Birds” focuses more on embracing the people in her life who lift her up. “Closer to You” takes a shot at post-punk telling her to either love her gently or leave prior to “Hammer” singing about leaving all her fears to be afraid & resilience in general.

As for “Radisson”, we have Bria exploring the raw energy of anger & the ability it has to transform just before “Twilight” goes for more of a stripped-back vibe kin to traditional country music tackling naivety & surrender. “On the Line” details her living her life taking risks for this specific person she has in mind, but then “Stretch the Struggle” assures you’ll never see her crying.

“Rags” tackles transgressive rage & the catharsis that is possible when it’s given permission to move freely through the body while “See’er” featuring former Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo brings the acoustics back expressing a yearning for being seen. “Peanut” nears the end of her solo debut asking what kind of fool she is & the closer “Water Memory” recalls what it was like for her spending Christmas alone during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in mandatory travel quarantine.

Chronicling a story of transformation, Big Dog becomes this deeply personal exploration of resilience & a declaration of artistic independence forged through collaboration. It takes elements of hypnotic krautrock & shimmery shoegaze, opulent goth, & pulsing darkwave with a smearing of electronic textures for a sophisticated & often uncanny sound placing her potent lyrical imagery in the dead center of it all.

Score: 4/5

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clipping. – “Death Channel Sky” review

Los Angeles, California experimental hip hop trio clipping. fronted by Daveed Diggs alongside William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes with their 5th studio LP. Emerging off their midcity mixtape in 2013, they signed Sub Pop Records shortly after & the label gave them a full-length debut the following year. However, I didn’t completely hop on board with these guys until their Deathbomb Arc debut Splendor & Misery in 2016, which is a fantastic sci-fi odyssey. They returned to Sub Pop by dropping their magnum opuses There Existed an Addiction to Blood & Visions of Bodies Being Burned. They’re returning halfway through to put out Death Channel Sky almost a week since former AEW World Champion, AEW World Tag Team Champion, the inaugural shortest-reigning 2-time AEW World Trios Champion, AJPW世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, DDTエクストリームチャンピオン, KO-D無差別級チャンピオン, 3-time KO-Dタッグチャンピオン, 2-time KO-D6人タッグチャンピオン, AAA Mega Campeon, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, IWGPインターコンチネンタルチャンピオン, 2-time IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, the inaugural 2-time IWGP USヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time NEVER無差別級6人タッグチャンピオン, PWG World Champion & TNA World Champion, Kenny Omega ended the current NEVER無差別級チャンピオン竹下幸之介’s reign as AEW International Champion’s at Revolution VI.

The first song “Dominator” after the intro begins by fusing hip house & industrial hip hop together to talk about being 1 of a kind whereas the 3rd single “Change the Change” takes the industrial hip hop, breakbeat hardcore, acid breaks, big beat, power noise, digital hardcore & hardcore breaks route making faces hurt with the waves they’re making. The lead single “Run It” draws inspiration from the Detroit techno scene painting a picture of a drug dealer & addict from the highs of partying to the lows of being caught, arrested or killed.

“Go” strips the drums for a brief experimental hip hop joint talking about running it down & after the “Simple Degradation (Plucks 1-13)” interlude, “Code” explores themes of digital identity along with hacking culture & futuristic survival going for a cyberpunk vibe. “Dodger” goes for a drum & bass direction talking about finding & killing a virus because time is of the essence but after the “Malleus” interlude, “Scams” featuring Tia NoMore finds her & Daveed talking about the beat continuously knocking in the back.

West coast gangsta rap, pop rap, conscious hip hop, acid house, political hip hop & boom bap all mold into 1 for the 2nd single “Keep Moving” suggesting to keep pushing dope everywhere you go while “Mood Organ” after the “From Bright Bodies” interlude bares it’s name after a fictional device in Philip K. Dick’s novels Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? & We Can Build You. “Polaroids” unearths all of these photos hidden tucked neatly in a box & hidden in a sock drawer or underneath the bed just before “Madcap” after the “Simple Degradation (Plucks 14-18)” interlude advises not to get it twisted with a businessman.

“Mirrorshades 2” featuring Cartel Madras continues the renowned cyberpunk anthology edited by Bruce Sterling since it’s a cornerstone of the genre’s aesthetic & themes while “Welcome Home Soldier” featuring Aesop Rock after the “& You Called” interlude was a great nerdcore cut with additional elements of industrial hip hop, abstract hip hop & glitch hop exploring into digital escapism & the allure of virtual worlds. “Ask What Happened” closes the LP by talking about history & future belong to the 1%.

The original “Mirrorshades” starts the deluxe run recapturing the themes of the sequel that we all got hear first earlier this spring while “Forever War” blends industrial hip hop, conscious hip hop, electronic, electro, hardcore hip hop & political hip hop talking about the way war goes. “Hard-Eyes” suggests to keep the family close & the ghosts in the closet with the safe while the final bonus track “Night of Heaven” reminds us all that the government is watching.

In contrast to their last few projects containing record-long concepts like the classic prog rock of old, Dead Channel Sky is more like a mixtape with it’s carefully curated collection of songs in which every track is a love letter to a possible present. Their industrial hip hop production expands in favor of hardcore hip hop, glitch hop, glitch music, acid techno, noise, big beat, electronic dance music, abstract hip hop, nerdcore, west coast hip hop, gangsta rap, pop rap, conscious hip hop, acid house, political hip hop, boom bap, drum & bass, hip house, breakbeat hardcore, acid breaks, power noise, digital hardcore & hardcore breaks texture-mapping the twin histories of hip hop & cyberpunk onto an alternate present.

Score: 4.5/5

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