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Why? Because it
destroys, being a feedback-drenched monolith erected to the rock gods of
yesteryear. Sleater-Kinney working out a hard rock jones while retaining
their indie cred is no small feat.
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Wonderful
songcraft and a theatrically engaging sense of schmaltz meld to make
Stevens' second 50 States release a genuine pop treasure.
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Blinking Lights is a cathartic, revealing work that moves from
despair to hope while avoiding the pitfalls of whiny self-pity or
overemotional aggrandizement.
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Britt
Daniel and Jim Eno refuse to stop evolving in the name of milking an
easily identifiable sound. Gimme Fiction explores a wealth of
styles yet remains cohesive thanks to the talent of its creatively
restless mainstays.
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Victorian sensibility and pop civics lessons converge on this musically
cheery but lyrically harrowing collection.
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Arresting examination of the living room battlefront, where abuse and
redemption are just as epic as those found in the trenches of Europe
during the Great War.
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If the
country groove of early My Morning Jacket is A, then Z is just
that, far removed in sound but still the same band, progressing whether
its core fan base wants them to or not.
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The
shambling, scattered sound of previous BSS efforts has been tightened
and more cannily sequenced to reveal something resembling an actual band
and not just a hit-or-miss co-op of shared musical interests.
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After The Woods, Hypermagic Mountain
is the finest crush of concussively forceful rock released this year.
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Political
without being preachy, Lost and Safe is an album that speaks to
the state of the world without browbeating its anti-administration
message.
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