Pitchfork
Reviews
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
Japanese Breakfast
Michelle Zauner’s lovely, pensive, capital-R Romantic fourth album takes a step back from autobiography to examine the performances and peril of fame itself.
Affectionately
Raisa K
Where her group Good Sad Happy Bad’s post-punk sounds effortless, Raisa K’s careful soundscaping—blending lo-fi guitars, low-key vocals, and industrial clang—is immaculately controlled.
Elvers Pass
Jorg Kuning
The Welsh producer’s latest mini-album gathers some of his most intricate and inventive music yet, adding elasticity, humor, and deeply plaintive moments to a classic minimal-house palette.
Consentrik Quartet
Nels Cline
In a new quartet of seasoned New York improvisers, the Wilco guitarist reveals his range, balancing soft duets with hard grooves and ballads with bedlam.
Chapter III: We Return to Light EP
Anoushka Shankar / Alam Khan / Sarathy Korwar
Alongside sarod and percussion, the sitarist and composer—daughter of virtuoso Ravi Shankar—closes out her suite of mini-albums with a record dedicated to musical heritage and blissful optimism.
Sinister Grift
Panda BearBest New AlbumAssisted by his Animal Collective bandmates, Noah Lennox’s latest solo LP is disarmingly laid-back. It might be his most straightforwardly beautiful record—and also his most emotionally complex.City of Clowns
Marie DavidsonForget dancing like no one’s watching: The Québécois musician’s latest LP is raving under surveillance capitalism, offering pranksterish critiques over Y2K-inspired beats.Lonesome Drifter
Charley CrockettFollowing in a long tradition of country singers on the skids, the Grammy-nominated Texan songwriter’s new album recounts a trail of broken promises and broken hearts.A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole
Alabaster DePlumeOn the British saxophonist and poet’s graceful new album, the reminders to savor each day and to forgive oneself feel less like jazz tunes than wordless hymns.Luminescent Creatures
Ichiko AobaBest New AlbumInspired by creatures she encountered diving in the waters off a remote island, the Japanese singer-songwriter’s understated, beautiful album explores liminal worlds through softly textured ambient folkSo Close to What
Tate McRaeOn her third album, the Canadian singer and dancer amps up the 2000s influence and dials up the sex. Though it’s her most mature release yet, the music still sounds tedious and reheated.
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