I reviewed the surprisingly good new Modest Mouse record for Slant:

Review: Modest Mouse’s The Golden Casket Is a Polished, Buoyant Pop-Rock Trip

On their debut release, Parting (ex Empire! Empire!, Dowsing, Annabel, and Hawk & Son) construct a testament to transforming together while maintaining the truth of everything they always stood for. Here’s my review, for The Alternative:

Album Review: Parting — “Unmake Me”

I contributed blurbs on The Armed, Spirit of the Beehive, and Snow Ellet for The Alternative‘s Best of 2021 So Far list.

The 60 Best Records of 2021 So Far

The departure of drummer Janet Weiss, who left the band in 2019, is unavoidably felt on the new Sleater-Kinney record, but the band, now a duo, still has the power to dazzle. Here’s my review for Slant Magazine:

Review: On Path of Wellness, Sleater-Kinney Chooses a Path of Stability Over Invention

I wrote about the really great debut from Bachelor, the clear result of a fruitful creative partnership. Here it is, for The Alternative:

Album Review: Bachelor – ‘Doomin’ Sun’

My newsletter, I Keep a Diary, is still going strong! Today it has migrated off of Substack and moved to Buttondown. All existing subscriptions have moved over, but if you’re looking to become a new subscriber, you can sign up here or at the newsletter link in the above menu.

Today’s edition has a little bit of everything—sections on music, books, and writing with just a dash of feelings. You can check that out right here:

I Keep a Diary #10: Staying Warm

Sat down with Brooklyn’s Nervous Dater over Zoom to chat about their excellent and eclectic pop-rock album Call in the Mess. We talked about their hard-won confidence and how they’ve come to let some new styles into the fold. You can read that over on The Alternative:

Interview: Nervous Dater on Call in the Mess

Unfortunately, the new Manchester Orchestra record doesn’t live up to the glitchy promise of singles “Bed Head” and “Keel Timing.”

Read my review for Slant:

Review: Manchester Orchestra’s The Million Masks of God Feels Like a Sluggish Retread

I wrote about the incredible new live film from toe and how it feels to love a live album in the absence of real shows.

Here it is for The Alternative:

Live Record Review: toe – ‘DOKU-EN-KAI’

Last month I spoke to post-hardcore band Closer about their cathartic and moving new record Within One Stem. We also talked about Geoff Rickly, Slayer, and Decemberunderground. Here it is for The Alt:

Artist Interview: Closer Discusses Within One Stem