Now on his third album since reinventing himself with a new persona, the king of lo-fi balladry has returned with his briefest project yet. The follow-up to 2020’s solid Nectar, which saw Joji fleshing out his sparse sounds and astute songwriting instincts with production that was slightly more involved and less disjointed, things have swung … Continue reading Joji – SMITHEREENS
Indie Reviews
The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
After one of the most polarizing, provocative and sometimes pretentious bands somehow released a couple of its greatest works back-to-back after expanding the tracklist and letting frontman Matt Healy’s cluttered mind roam wherever it wanted to, it seems The 1975 have reversed course with their latest. Standing at only 11 tracks in length, that mind … Continue reading The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
Maggie Rogers – Surrender
Three and a half years after a viral video of Pharrell reacting to her music made her one of pop’s most promising new figures overnight, Maggie Rogers is back with a new sound, a new haircut and a degree from Harvard. Sharing its name with her thesis in religion and public life, Surrender finds Rogers trying out … Continue reading Maggie Rogers – Surrender
Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy is back after four years with his third project, In Our Own Sweet Time, but truthfully, not much has changed – if you’ve heard one of his songs before, you likely know what this album is going to sound like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Recruiting a list of … Continue reading Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Oliver Tree – Cowboy Tears
If you read some interviews featuring the extravagant and eccentric performance artist and living meme that is Oliver Tree, you’ll know that he never intended to pursue music as his main artistic pursuit for long. You’ll also know that it’s impossible to trust nearly anything he says, as it all eventually works its way around … Continue reading Oliver Tree – Cowboy Tears
alt-J – The Dream
Four and a half years after their polarizing project Relaxer, British indie-rock titans alt-J have finally returned to sway opinions back in the opposite direction – essentially, by going full The 1975 and crafting a compilation of some of their craziest instrumental palates and songwriting concepts yet. With influences ranging from barbershop to opera and … Continue reading alt-J – The Dream
Mitski – Laurel Hell
It seems that even an experimental indie darling like Mitski can’t escape the tide of 80s inspiration washing over all facets of the music industry right now. The art pop singer-songwriter’s first project since the incredibly acclaimed Be The Cowboy in 2018 – which topped just about every year-end list there was, Mitski returns after … Continue reading Mitski – Laurel Hell
Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters
After her last project was renamed a couple times, delayed a couple times, and briefly abandoned in favour of promoting a joint poetry collection and spoken-word album, the glamorous folk-pop singer-songwriter that is Lana Del Rey has been uncharacteristically following through on her lengthy list of promises and announcements as of late. Releasing her second … Continue reading Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters
James Blake – Friends That Break Your Heart
One of the music industry’s most sought-after collaborators, both James Blake’s touching and heartfelt folksy ballads and his tendency for experimentation and daringly jumping across genre lines to blend his malleable style with some of today’s biggest innovators have been drawing in more and more fans as his career progresses. Now on his fifth studio … Continue reading James Blake – Friends That Break Your Heart
Clairo – Sling
Two years after her beloved and critically acclaimed debut Immunity, breaking out onto the scene in a massive way at the age of only 19, bedroom pop singer/songwriter Clairo is already at the stage of her career where she’s receiving the Jack Antonoff treatment. Apparently the producer who never rests for an instant, Antonoff once … Continue reading Clairo – Sling
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 