by Shannon Smith
Father John Misty—born Joshua Michael Tillman—has made a career as an enigmatic figure, both a purveyor of biting social satire and a seeker of deeper existential truths. His journey from J. Tillman’s introspective acoustic folk roots to the lush, expansive sonic palette of Father John Misty has been marked by continuous reinvention. Mahashmashana, his sixth album, is the latest chapter in that evolution. The album speaks with a voice more intimate than Pure Comedy, but more expansive than God’s Favorite Customer. This album, co-produced by Tillman and Drew Erickson, invites listeners into an exploration of [...]
by Shannon Smith
From the moment the snarling distortion kicks in on “Jerkin’,” it’s clear that Cartoon Darkness is an album of defiance. Amyl and The Sniffers charge headfirst into the chaotic void, swinging wildly at anyone foolish enough to step in their way. It’s punk as it ought to be: a defiant shout against convention, a raw howl at the absurdities of the world. The Melbourne four-piece, led by Amy Taylor’s vitriolic vocals, bring a reckless energy that recalls Sid Vicious’ snarling presence, albeit with today’s wit and sense of fun. There’s even a splash of [...]
by Steven Miller
Soaring past the thirty-year mark as a band, Japan’s Envy returns with their eighth studio album, Eunoia, an offering that is raw and filled with feels. The eight-song project is enriched by a wide palette of sonic textures as Eunoia captures a band that’s not just surviving—it’s thriving, despite the challenges of time and significant personnel shifts. This album, the second release since a major shake-up in 2018, finds Envy leaning into vulnerability while exploring new sonic terrains. The result is an album that encapsulates not just the experience of a band evolving, but also a glimpse of their collective soul as they [...]
by Steven Miller
Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile have always embraced chaos, but Cool World, their sophomore album, takes the visceral cacophony they introduced in God’s Country and pushes it into a realm that’s even more unsettling and thematically expansive. If their debut honed in on the personal horrors of addiction, industrial collapse, and the existential decay of “God’s country,” Cool World expands the lens to capture humanity’s collective violence, exposing how systems of power grind down the individual on a global scale.
The album’s title, Cool World, may initially seem like a nod to the [...]
