Stinkus – I love you, trackstar
By now, you should recognize Stinkus as a buffaBLOG favorite – we reviewed 23 last year, and have covered multiple singles leading up to their 2nd album this year (!), I love you, trackstar.
Before we get started, I think it’s important to cover the following: Tyler Thompson, Stinkus mastermind, acquired the nickname “Tink.” “Tink” eventually turned into “Tinkus” (as these nicknames tend to do). As a reminder to have fun and to not take the project too seriously, Thompson added an “s” to Tinkus, arriving at the playfully coy “Stinkus.” Thompson is a writer/producer based in LA – with a prolific pedigree, it’s not hard to see why Stinkus slaps so hard… But in all seriousness, Stinkus is Thompson’s project where anything can happen, free from industry notes. That sincerity, realness, and carefree, “have fun” nature comes through beautifully on I love you, trackstar. Now that you know all that, try to wrap your head around the fact that Thompson rented a cabin in rural Michigan and made this entire album in two (2) weeks… What? How?
We already covered album opener “Plastic Blue” here – full of found samples, quirky guitar leads, and an underlying Midwest-emo-ish soul, the opener is a perfect introduction to Stinkus… And a pretty good indication that if you like Oso Oso, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, or Petey USA, you’ll love what Stinkus is up to. It fades into the more easy-going “Falling In Love,” which features ghostly vocals from collaborator Ocean LeClair. The surprisingly simple, acoustic-guitar backbone is padded thick with synthy tinks (pun intended), heavily layered vocals, and a weirdly-fitting drum machine beat. There’s something so appealing about a simple structure that sounds like it’s been lovingly layered with thrift store instrumentals. Let’s just say that Stinkus is operating on a whole other level… and we’re here for it.
As you meander through the 14 songs on trackstar, you have to wonder to yourself how Stinkus stays so prolific without putting out pure drivel. Like the opener, a good portion of trackstar is smart, emo-laced pop rock – like album highlight “Holy Virgin,” which we previously covered here. There’s also “Casino,” which is delightfully night/day – a plucky, bright, palm muted guitar somehow devolves into a doomy, shoegazy chorus that the Deftones would probably be proud of. “Maggie My Dog” has fuzzed-out Weezer vibes if Chris Carrabba was River Cuomo’s co-songwriter, maybe. “Take What You Want” (featuring lophile) could be a long lost Third Eye Blind song, if they collaborated with Primitive Radio Gods and Spacehog. I can’t even believe I just wrote that sentence… But have a listen. You’ll understand. Or maybe you won’t. That’s the magic of Stinkus.
Elsewhere, Alex G and Pinegrove influences show up pretty heavily. “only when it comes to you, i guess,” with its ’90s esque lo-fi shuffle, has those beautifully depressing Alex G vibes, while “Curiously Intent (Underdog)” feels like the lost follow-up single to Pinegrove’s TikTok smash, “Need 2” (Tyler, this is your sign to come up with a TikTok dance or something). “Wide Eyed” has Slaughter Beach, Dog vibes – sounding warm and inviting (with a bonkers guitar accompaniment that only Stinkus could make sound right), but never rises in intensity over a lovely simmer. “Bleeding Orange,” inexplicably, bridges the gap between the Midwest and Folksy poles – starting muted and bursting into something starry-eyed. When you finally make it through touching album closer “The Oath,” you’ll wonder where all of this came from. For an album that sounds so eclectic, it also sounds remarkably cohesive… And at the end of the day, I dare to repeat myself – That’s the magic of Stinkus.
I love you, trackstar is available now (11/21/2025). Check out the embed for “Plastic Blue” below, or, find it on your favorite streaming services.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna