Album Reviews

Giuseppe Cucè – 21 grammi

November 16, 2025

Hailing all the way from Sicily, Italian singer-songwriter Giuseppe Cucè released a cathartic, intense album called 21 grammi. The album title, which translates to 21 Grams, refers to an old theory about the human soul: during the exact moment of death, the human body, according to legend, would drop 21 grams in weight. This loss of exactly 21 grams is apparently the soul and all that cannot be measured – memories, faith, love, and so on – escaping the body when one reaches Death’s Door. 21 grammi, released by TRP Vibes and produced by Riccardo Samperi, relentlessly attempts to explain the human experience, with Cucè himself stating, “Within those 21 grams there is everything: what we have loved, what we have lost, and what still keeps us alive.”   The album begins with the sprightly “È tutto cosi vero.” Immediately coming to mind is the work of Forro in the[...]

Vicious Clay – Bleecker Street Revisited

November 14, 2025

There’s something visceral about the music that comes from Vinny Silva – colloquially known as Vicious Clay. The multi-instrumentalist plays all the instruments on the album: drums, bass, guitars, vocals, and percussion, and it’s palpable – the music here is raw and emotional… Truly an artist’s singular vision. Over the course of 10 songs, Silva explores sneering rock ‘n roll sounds, dipping into garage tones; retro rock swagger; and bluesy emotions.   “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album – reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilot’s “Vasoline,” the song begins with a cacophony of swelling sounds before Silva rips a crushing line – “Feels so hopeless in the dark.” The groovy, guitar riffing here feels spindly and spidery, whipping and winding around your eardrums with nimble virtuosity, pairing raw chords with strong, start/stop rhythmic play. “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album, but it is certainly the[...]

Mark Arabia – HOW WE GOT HERE

November 9, 2025

Mark Arabia‘s debut album has an all-too-common backstory – it was inspired by a breakup… But let’s be real, the best albums always come from pain. There’s no surprises here – Arabia’s latest, the 11-song HOW WE GOT HERE is full of the stuff you would have gone crazy to back in high school (at least if you were in high school when I was). If you’re a high schooler now, I have no idea how to relate to you, but we’re pretty sure you’re gonna like this too. Mark’s stuff is a throwback to the storytelling greats of ’00s pop punk – and whether you decide to hear Blink-182, All Time Low, Owl City, or Machine Gun Kelly in Mark’s sharp and polished songwriting, he’s still entering the pop-punk oeuvre with a strong narrative of his own.   The album kicks off with title track “HOW WE GOT HERE,” and[...]

Gabriel Royce – Traveler

November 1, 2025

Gabriel Royce wrote an album that means something to him.   Inspired by his oldest daughter, Emery (and even featuring the voice of his father), Traveler is the culmination of a decade-long dream. There’s something to be said about a self-produced album like Traveler and the 2am nights that were spent to put out something of this magnitude. Across 12 songs, Royce builds a literal world – or rather a galaxy, parlaying space travel concepts into metaphorical lessons about life. This is truly a love letter to his daughter; an album that comes from a place like that is special.   Album opener “Blastoff” is more of a mantra than a song, but fittingly, starts with the voice of his father and ends with the voice of Emery. It sets the “space” scene perfectly, leading into song two, “Light Up The Sky.” Royce pulls no punches here – an ultra-polished song[...]

Drift City – Spectral Heart Mosaics

October 28, 2025

Kentucky-based musical effort, Drift City, plants a promising seed with their latest EP release, Spectral Heart Mosaics. From start to finish, the folk-and-jazz-and-blues-inspired band presents themselves very professionally – the sounds, accurate; the production (see: Kevin Ratterman), thick and palpable. There is a wide variety of instruments utilized throughout the EP, like lulling saxophones and zipping synthesizers. While the songs wrap the listener in a dampening mist of tangible relaxation, the overall feel of this music collection is hopeful, pushing toward self-growth, as well as somewhat spiritual.   The EP opener, “Leave Your Life,” listens like the soundtrack of a mood-lit lazy river. Immediately, one may take note of the vocal delivery, falling somewhere between Iggy Pop crossed with The National. After a brilliant saxophone solo, there is a pleasing shift in feel when the drummer strikes the ride with brushes more consistently, lending to a relaxing, jazzy feel. Song[...]

CERULEAN SAPPHIRE – soft attention

October 21, 2025

CERULEAN SAPPHIRE (CS) appear out of a blue-hued aether with their latest, self-produced album, soft attention. Based around a self-proclaimed concept they’re calling “Mediterranean Melancholy,” CS was created by a Finn who grew up in south Spain, surrounded by a suite of different cultures. Like its creator, soft attention lives in the spaces in between – a liminal, escapist, and dreamlike offering that harkens back to the ’90s in a Pure Moods type of way while keeping its finger on the pulse of modern day synthpop.   Songs like “orientate in paris” are archetypal CS. The music here is some holy mixture of synthpop, ambiance, and shoegaze – equal parts Cocteau Twins, Everything But The Girl, and Slowdive. Ghostly, otherworldly vocals float heavenly above Casio-tone keyboard tones – buzzing, bubbling basslines; machine-like percussion; and gauzy synth pads create a sleepy haze. This is music to meditate to – or at[...]

Kitty Coen – Conversations with the Moon

October 19, 2025

When you think of country music, images of gothic, alt-country songstresses don’t typically conjure up… But that’s Kitty Coen. Landing somewhere “between a saloon and a séance,” Kitty’s take on country doesn’t fully eschew the “dirt road, big truck, cold beer” aesthetic… But expect to hear some glassy-eyed songs about cocaine and dancing on graves too. The result is the stunning, 12 song offering, Conversations with the Moon, an eclectic, but ultimately super-listenable record that has enough country appeal to vibe with regular listeners; an equal amount of old-school country badassery to impress your parents; and enough angst to get indie rockers like me to pay attention. Like Stevie before her, Kitty fancies herself sorta witchy – check out a little bit more about what this album means to her below:   “This record came from those nights when you feel like the only thing listening back is the moon… It’s[...]

WaterPenny – Buttons For People

October 15, 2025

WaterPenny defy classification… But if we had to quantify, we’d peg them as Western-tinged, blues-influenced rock n roll. Lane (lead guitar & vocals), Wes (guitar & vocals), Cihan (bass), and Sean (drums) are the quartet of musicians that comprise this enigmatic and unique act from Washington, whose latest album, the nine-song Buttons For People bridges the gap between classic rock fervor; sweaty, emotional blues; and modern day indie rock   The album kicks off with “Not Yours or Mine” that highlights exactly what this group succeeds at. Swampy slide guitar moans and groans in a mid-tempo meditation before the group explodes into a jammy outro, melting faces with a stanky rhythm and blistering lead guitar. Elsewhere, they channel Led Zeppelin (or maybe Cage the Elephant) on “Iteration” and album closer “Undone,” sounding like a perfect mix of the aformentioned bands. The band has no problem spreading their wings either – lead[...]

Aatocaster – superstition (studio works ’23-’25)

October 14, 2025

From the underground corners of Los Angeles, the enigmatic Aatocaster rises from the shadows. In the pursuit of a cult-following as opposed to mainstream hubris, Aatocaster forms jagged soundscapes of crystalline digitalization, where post-punk rhythms and shoegaze ambiance collide with glass-shattered electronica. The result is the mind-bending superstition (studio works ’23-’25), an abrasive but eye-opening dance through fields of data compiled together into some sort of experimental world. Even the artwork surrounding this release is noisy and degraded. Intentionally unsettling, superstition challenges us to push our boundaries past surface level – a deeper dive into this album will reward the listener with a mysterious, but cerebral lyrical presence.   superstition opens with “the mirror,” a song that floats into your sub-conscious like a half-remembered memory. “the mirror” is a perfect title, because alongside a spooky vocal presence, this song sounds a lot like a mirror shattering. Glinting keyboards ding like shards[...]

Loser Demon – EP2

October 9, 2025

The only constant in life is change, and Loser Demon seem to have embraced that with fervor on their most recent release, EP2. It’s often a bigger leap than people realize to go from a raw, lo-fi energy to something that feels produced and intentional; in fact, you’re almost putting yourself in a much harsher spotlight because you don’t have the “well, it’s supposed to sound raw” defense to fall back on anymore. Luckily for Loser Demon, they don’t have to ponder on their self-worth too much – their new six-song release is a master class in growing as a band, full of powerful, self-propelled indie punk that feels explosive, powerful, and poignant in all the right ways.   Rather than start with the album opener, we’re going to highlight “Reliance,” one of the album’s most blood-pumping songs. Get used to the hallmarks found here – buzzsaw guitars grind with a guttural[...]

Ole Anders Winge Walseth – Borodino 1812

October 9, 2025

Ole Anders Winge Walseth (OAWW).   An epic name tied to an epic new EP – Borodino 1812, a six-song offering that feels like a clarion call for war. Even just the mention of “1812” evokes images and feelings of a battle long since past, and OAWW brings it to life with a passionate blend of alt rock and metal. Written over the course of 8 years (2017-2025), Anders Winge Walseth and Erlend Naalsund teamed up to write the majority of this Norwegian rock EP, with the exception of “Death on the Horizon” and “Ocean Liners,” which come straight from OAWW’s brain.   We’d be remiss without starting with the title-track and opening track, “Borodino 1812.” Through epic guitars, snarling vocals, and a 5+ minute runtime, the band delves into a powerful soundscape that copes with themes of conflict, valor, and what it truly means to be “human.” These themes[...]

Love Ghost – Gas Mask Wedding

October 7, 2025

If you’re familiar with Love Ghost (and you should be, we’ve reviewed his albums here and here), you already know what a personality Finnegan Seeker Bell is. The enigmatic frontman/musician/songwriter/content creator is always pushing boundaries – whether that means writing songs about death and drugs; bounding from genre to genre without a care in the world; or just generally having a fuck-it-all attitude toward life – Bell’s devil-may-care attitude belies his genuinely prolific songwriting output. He’s back with another full length; to our knowledge, his second of the year. He’s calling it Gas Mask Wedding – here’s a little bit about the album from Bell himself:   “These songs are about finding intimacy in the middle of chaos. I wrote songs about loving something that could destroy you – because that is the world I live in. If you live in this world too then welcome to the wedding.”   Right[...]

Chris Portka – The Album Everyone Wants

September 25, 2025

Chris Portka was originally going to release his latest effort, The Album Everyone Wants (TAEW), exclusively on vinyl. There’s some sort of irony about releasing an album hyped up as “the one that everyone desires” on such an intentional media like wax, but maybe that’s the point. Chris Portka does whatever the fuck he wants – evidenced by his previous effort, the noisy and experimental Trash Music (that we reviewed here), and further bolstered by the not-quite-180-degree turn taken on TAEW. Portka leans harder into the American songbook here on TAEW, never eschewing his noisy indie rocker tendencies, but instead, mashing them together with gentler folk rock backbones; sighing pedal steel guitars; and delightfully weird psychedelia.   While the vinyl of Trash Music ramped up feelings of nostalgia and anxiety, it has a different outcome when listening to the broader, “songwriter” appeal of an album like TAEW. Chris’ left-field shenanigans feel like the flourishes that make this[...]

SOZI – DREAM

September 25, 2025

SOZI is LA-born and raised, and her latest EP, DREAM, is a glittering reflection of that upbringing. Written and produced by SOZI, this end-of-summer blitz is a celebration of all things glitz and glamor. Here’s a little more about DREAM from SOZI herself.   “The ‘DREAM’ EP is all about the illusions we chase, the fantasies we fall into, and the moments of clarity that wake us up. It’s the sound of summer seen through a hazy lens: warm, glittery, emotional, and a little surreal.”   SOZI smartly opens the album with “Superstar” – an archetypal SOZI jam that combines retro disco throwbacks (think Bee-Gees-type staccato strings that sigh and burst) with a modern-day pop sensibility. SOZI’s voice is powerful, but not overwhelming, acting as a lilting presence that floats perfectly overtop the electropop instrumentals… And while the phrase will be forever associated with Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher,[...]

CAR287 – Looking Through the Lens

September 17, 2025

On their latest album, Looking Through the Lens, the Canadian rock band CAR287 takes us on an wild journey. Feelings of both hopefulness and hopelessness, anger, and heartbreak bubble up – examined from multiple lenses, both within the self and others. Here’s a little more from frontman Jay Yarmey about how the album came to be:   “This album is about perspective – how we see ourselves, our families, our city, and the memories that shape us... It’s rooted in Winnipeg and in the experiences we’ve lived, but the themes are universal – everyone can find a piece of themselves in it.”   “Opening Song” is, self explanatorily, the first track on the record. It intrigues the audience with the anticipative hook, “dreaming of pulling away from here.” The passion within the track could inspire just about anyone to make a positive change in their life. In fact, while you[...]