BY: Music Journalism Club
Every Tuesday, our Music Director, Allison, chooses new releases to add to our music library. Here are some recent highlights, presented to you by WSUM's Music Journalism Club.
January 28th, 2025 ADDS
Paint, Gift Shop
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Gift Shop”, “Puzzle”, “After All”
GENRE: Indie rock/dream pop
RIYL: Sweet Trip, Soccer Mommy, Cocteau Twins, Alvvays
With their most recent project, Australian band Paint shows off their impressively diverse and musically rich sound through just 6 songs. Within 16 minutes, they mix dreamy vocals and instrumentals with heavy drums and guitars in a uniquely tasteful way. Their use of guitars ranges from a poppier style, reminiscent of The Strokes (which can be heard on “Gift Shop”), to a distorted “wall of sound” approach similar to My Bloody Valentine (found on “After All”). A combination of different styles and genres are tied together to create a sound that almost anyone can enjoy.
— Leo Dempsey
FKA Twigs, Eusexua
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Girl Feels Good”, “Perfect Stranger”, “Room of Fools”
GENRE: Electronic/Alternative Pop
RIYL: Grimes, Shygirl, Tinashe, Eartheater
Three years since her last album, FKA Twigs' highly anticipated new release, Eusexua, is finally here. This is the English singer-songwriter's third studio album, and blends experimental, RnB and electronic sound to create her own cohesive project. Eusexua has features from Koreless and even North West on “Childlike Things”. Each song flows into each other going between different house inspired beats to a more melodic sound, with an almost Björk sounding song as well with “Room of Fools”. The entire album works together and gives listeners an overall enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.
— Allison Lukas
February 4th, 2025 ADDS
Lean Tee, Elsewhere GO!
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Eve”, “no dream / apathy”
GENRE: Lo-fi emo
RIYL: glass beach, HOMESHAKE, Alex G
Baltimore, Maryland's Lean Tee craft a pleasant blend of bedroom emo and dreamy indie pop, and the trio's most recent EP, Elsewhere GO!, is no different. This project is a great listen through its entire 15-minute runtime, but it shines particularly bright in its last two tracks, “Eve” and “no dream / apathy”. The latter features a gazey/Cocteau Twins-esque/reverb-laden guitar throughout that hypnotizes the listener and makes me excited to see what comes next from these three.
— Cole Smith
February 11th, 2025 ADDS
Wilco, A Ghost is Born (Expanded Edition)
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “At Least That's What You Said”, “I'm a Wheel”
GENRE: Indie Rock, folk
RIYL: Jeff Tweedy, Billy Bragg
With the release of their freshly expanded fifth studio album, Wilco's A Ghost is Born (Expanded Edition) reminds listeners why they are one of the most prominent and prolific indie bands in recent memory. The original 2004 release of A Ghost is Born proved that the band could move beyond the acclaimed sound of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot into a more experimental sound, and the expanded edition does exactly the same. The full box set includes original outtakes, demos, live jam sessions and more, in addition to the original album release.
— Olivia O'Callaghan
