Loma Vista 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Sleater Kinney continue to show us why they rank among America's finest modern rock bands. Little Rope certainly does its best to occupy a space in your mind, long after the hooks, distorted harmonies and heartfelt, almost desperate vocals of 'Say It Like You Mean It' have faded - perhaps the catchiest and most memorable, certainly the most radio-friendly, mainstream-sounding track on this record. To say it's the standout moment would be misleading, though. The torment and sorrow on 'Hell', which flits between crumpled on the floor hopelessness and blind, loud, synth-guitar rage, is just one example of how much impact the whole thing has, while the demands of 'Dress Yourself' - "Get up, girl, and dress yourself in clothes you love for a world you hate," prove incredible depth. Then you discover singer-guitarist Carrie Brownstein's parents tragically died in a car crash in 2022, and realise just how much has gone into this.

Review: Trailed by her label Loma Vista as "a rebirth in process", Chelsea Wolfe's tenth studio album wears its weighty and deeply personal inspirations (cutting ties with friends and lovers and the extensive period of healing that follows) as a badge of honour. While these themes are most explicitly explored in the lyrics (and shine through her delicate, frequently weary vocal performances), there's a darkness and brooding intensity to some of the music on show that undoubtedly suits its subject matter. For proof, check the gnarled, raw and fuzzy Nine Inch Nails-meets-Tricky flex of 'Whispers In The Echo Chamber', the claustrophobic sound design and razor-sharp guitars of 'Everything Turns Blue', the Mezzanine-era Massive Attack growl of 'Tunnel Lights' and the breathlessly brilliant closing cut, 'Dusk'.

Review: Chelsea Wolfe's latest album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, is a rebirth in process. It's a powerfully cathartic statement about cutting ties, as well as an important reminder that healing is cyclical and circular, and not a simple linear process. From the opening emotes of 'Whispers In The Echo Chamber' - which give electro-gothic Blair-Witchy plods conveyed over lost media - to the closing black-metallic, trip-hop eventide of 'Dusk' - this is everything you could possibly want from a new Wolfe album.