quête:pop 3

The British Gambian rapper chronicles his cellblock daydreams on family, freedom, and feeling alien in the UK while hinting at a new blueprint for pan-African pop.

First Word Records are incredibly proud to bring you ‘I Swear To You’; the stunning sophomore album from Georgie Sweet.

Georgie is a singer / songwriter currently based in Brighton, with a uniquely smooth, soulful vocal tone.

Whilst working on her debut record (‘Misunderstood’), Georgie began a songwriting partnership with multi-instrumentalist Marc Rapson, who is on the boards throughout this project. The duo discovered a natural musical connection instantly, and began working on an abundance of beautiful new material shortly after the release of the first album; writing and creating at Rapson’s home in Hertfordshire at various sessions from 2021 onwards, culminating in this new 12-track album, ‘I Swear To You’.

Despite being one of the UK’s best kept secrets, Georgie’s already been pricking the ears of some highly-respected selectors. The first single from this record (‘Smaller / All That We Were’) received love from tastemakers such as BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson (“this one melts”), Jazz FM's Tony Minvielle ("supremely talented”) and Clash Magazine (“exudes soulful grace”), whilst previous material found itself in the crates of legendary luminaries like DJ Jazzy Jeff & DJ Spinna amongst others.

At the end of 2024, Georgie signed to Worldwide Award-winning independent London-based label, First Word Records; although she previously featured before on the label, via the title track of the highly-acclaimed 2021 sophomore album by Children of Zeus, 'Balance', along with Akemi Fox. Prior to this her debut album 'Misunderstood' dropped back in 2020 on Futuristica Music; an independent imprint run by Deborah Jordan & Simon S, on which Georgie also collaborated with acclaimed producers like K15 and Mecca:83.

An all-round creative soul, away from creating music, Georgie also works as an illustrator and animator. However, her lifelong love of music is unquestionable. She’s been a vocalist from a young age, initially working with her musical parents (a producer and professional singer respectively).

With a hugely diverse set of inspirations ranging from Stevie Wonder to Michael McDonald, Hiatus Kaiyote to Chappell Roan, Mac Miller to Sampha, and George Duke to EW&F, Georgie's respect, love and admiration for a wide range of music is clear; from jazz to soul to pop to hip hop.

2023 Repress

It's the quiet ones we should watch, they always say. Which is particularly astute advice right now, when loud, constant self-declaration and saturated 'brand' visibility have become the norm. But above the babble and brightness, some voices will always speak quiet volumes ­- with calm eloquence and the kind of certitude that comes from valuing the playing out, not just the prize.

Sweden's José González is just such a voice. He first charmed his way into the UK's earshot via the murmurous and elegant, classically finger-picked folk pop of his 2005 album, Veneer, which has since sold over a staggering 430, 000 copies in UK alone. Two years later came In Our Nature, a further exploration of José's influences (Argentinian Folklore, the '60s US folk tradition and the British pastoral folk-pop style of the same era), on which he resisted the temptation to beef up his alluringly introvert aesthetic. The albums made the UK Top 10 and Top 20 respectively.

Conceived as the natural third part in an acoustic trilogy, Vestiges & Claws is a(nother) hushed and delicate solo set that forefronts the artist and guitarist's compellingly intimate vocal style and intricate playing technique, but it's often strikingly rhythmic in nature and cohere's perfectly, with hand claps and taps on the body of his instrument underlining the songs' mantric rise-and-fall pattern, while elsewhere, over-dubbed guitar parts and multi-tracked vocal harmonies entwine to sweetly immersive effect.

The title refers to both cultural practices and biological features that survive despite having lost their original function, and to currently useful tools, ie the 'claws' of modern life.

Vestiges & Claws was recorded almost entirely by José and self-produced, mostly in his Gothenburg home, using computer plug-ins to achieve a warm, analogue sound. He prefers working alone, mainly for artistic reasons. 'There were a couple of things that enabled me to complete this record: one was curiosity, to be able to play percussion and do a lot of harmonies and also to produce and mix the album; the other was aesthetics. I love to listen to Arthur Russell and Shuggie Otis, to music that has been done mostly by one person in their solitary state.'

As José sees it, the record is his personal, 'zoomed-out eye on humanity on a small, pale blue dot in a cold, sparse and unfriendly space. The amazing fact that we are all here, an attempt at encouraging us to understand ourselves and to make the best of the one life we know we have - after birth and before death.

"Polymath artist, musician and iconoclast Raed Yassin releases Eternal Ghost, two long-form pieces of modular minimalism via Fourth Sounds. Drawing on influences of Terry Riley, Suicide, no wave and synth pop, the double A-side 12” reverberates with urgent, high-octane loops, repeating patterns and distorted vocal frequencies, each track unfurling over 15 frantic Minutes of maximalist electronics.

Born in Lebanon and based in Berlin, with a musical practice that spans free improvisation, Arabic pop and sample-based cultural archaeology, Yassin is an artist who refuses to be contained, working across disciplines to interrogate ideas of personal identity, collective memory and consumer culture.

Eternal Ghost is the latest addition to a shape-shifting body of work, released to accompany Yassin’s debut London exhibition of the same name at Cedric Bardawil in June 2025."

Random Coloured Vinyl
Nu-Tone presents Combo Tezeta's debut 7" vinyl record! The A-side, "La Danza Del Camaleón" is an instrumental cumbia-salsera that takes you on a tropical trip with a touch of psychedelia. On the flip side, a dark mid-tempo bolero called, "La Reina Nocturna". Remastered from the original verion, released by Discos Más in 2020. Based out of the Bay Area, Combo Tezeta plays a highly danceable blend of instrumental Cumbias, Chichas, and Musica Tropical inspired by the late 60's and early 70's era of psychedelic Peru. Layering the reverb-fueled sounds of surf rock onto the foundations of Cumbia, the band's focus is to highlight the rich melodies and hypnotic rhythms birthed from the Afro-Latin diaspora. Along with its appreciation of world music and its diverse cultures, Combo Tezeta's mission is to deliver the sounds and musical echoes of the past to the present through a combination of traditional and original music. Combo Tezeta was featured in Noise Pop 2023 and has played Pacific Northwest tours with Satan’s Pilgrim and Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini 2023. The band has played famed Bay Area Venues the Chapel, Eli’s Mile High Club and the Ivy Room.  In Summer of 2024 they toured the Pacific Northwest and Southern California, including an appearance at The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The band was chosen by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts to be one of 20 finalists (out of 7000), and featured them in the Northern California showcase of finalists at Lagunitas Brewery in 2024. “Oakland seven-piece Combo Tezeta kicked off the baile with a garage-band take on ’60s and ’70s classics and originals, with distorted guitars and jangly synths layering psychedelic ooze onto timbales and güiras. The musician’s solos revealed hard-won skills, but the band members looked remarkably chill as they played together fluidly.” – KQED

Steve Harley's iconic album The Best Years Of Our Lives celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 and to mark the event, Chrysalis Records is proud to present an expanded 3-Disc edition featuring a 2025 Stereo Mix by Alan Parsons.

Following the split of the original Cockney Rebel line up, Harley endeavored to form a new line up while renaming the group as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. The result of this newfound group was electric, with the band producing their biggest hit; the number one, million-selling anthem 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)'.

The lead track has gone on to have a life of its own, produced by Alan Parsons, just two years after he engineered Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, this album stands tall as an assured collection of top tier prog-glam-pop.

Disc One features a new 2025 Alan Parsons Stereo Mix, Disc two has never-before-heard outtakes and rarities, offering fans a unique insight into the creative process. The DVD features the Between The Lines documentary and Star Rider live video, unaired since the time, giving a wonderful glimpse into Steve performing at his victory lap show at Hammersmith Odeon alongside some fantastic fan interviews, Make Me Smile promo video and TOTP performance and the full audio recording of the Hammersmith Odeon concert. At the centre of this DVD style hardback book, are liner notes by renowned author Peter Doggett with interviews from band members Jim Cregan, Stewart Elliott, Duncan Mackay and producer Alan Parsons plus previously unseen photographs from Mick Rock and Michael Putland

The High Class duo, Saucy Lady & Slynk, are back to bless our ears, this time tackling Mariya Takeuchi's legendary Japanese city pop treasure, 'Yume no Tsuzuki' (Endless Dream). Producer Slynk doesn't just cover this tune, he gives it a full-blown sonic facelift where his signature thicc bassline is the backbone of this operation, while Saucy Lady's vocals elevate the track to a whole new funkdom. This dream team delivers, making you wish this 'Endless Dream' never ends.

My Boy Lollipop is the debut album by Jamaican singer Millie Small, capturing the infectious energy of the early ska movement. Driven by the global success of the title track, a genre-defining hit, the album delivers a lively mix of upbeat rhythms, playful melodies, and Millie’s unmistakable high-pitched vocals. With a blend of ska, pop, and R&B influences, it's a vibrant showcase of the sound that helped bring Jamaican music to international audiences. A must-have for fans of classic ska and timeless feel-good tunes.

Etta James’ second album leans more toward pop than the fiery soul she’s known for, with lush orchestration by Riley Hampton and a repertoire of ’40s standards. Yet, her powerhouse vocals shine, proving she could master any style. R&B still makes its mark, with the Berry Gordy-penned Seven Day Fool stealing the show, alongside Don’t Cry Baby and Fool That I Am, both charting crossover hits.

Already supported by Don Letts on BBC Radio 6, NTS, KEXP, Radio 3 and featured on Mixmag and Les Yeux Orange. Celebrate marks the beginning of a new chapter in PIEK’s artistic evolution.

Eight years after his debut LP "Despertar" , he returns with a radiant, emotional, and dancefloor-ready album that explores the uplifting power of electronic music. Celebrate is liberating. It’s also spicy, at times irreverent, emotional, and brutally honest. Above all, it’s a celebration and a beautiful journey through decades of dance music, drawing inspiration from 70s Latin and tropical sounds, 80s Disco, 90s Dance and even 2000s R&B and Hip Hop

Novoa/Kamaguchi/Cleaver Trio Delivers Electrifying Second Volume
A Bold, Experimental Fusion of Density and Dialogue

"The wait is over. If you’ve been holding your breath since hearing Novoa/Kamaguchi/Cleaver Trio, Vol. 1, it is time to let it out. Vol. 2 is almost here! The group has returned to 577 Records once more, serving a heaping second helping of addictive musical brilliance that comes out in May.

Even The Wire magazine celebrated the trio's first album, calling it “a deep and thoughtful release” – and Vol. 2 is no different. Eva Novoa is the Barcelona-born pianist/composer taking the world by storm with her creativity and talent. And she is back to wow us again on the piano, Fender Rhodes, Chinese gongs, and a little whistling.

To complete the trio, she chose her longtime comrade and collaborator of some fifteen years, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and Detroit drum wizard Gerald Cleaver. The group has performed live in NYC since 2017. They made their first record (Vol. 1) with 577 Records in 2024. Their highly anticipated Vol. 2 marks Eva's fourth album with the label.

In their upcoming release, Novoa steers the trio through elegant experimentation of its full potential, confidently grasping golden threads from great masters of music to shape her own melodic universe. The multi-instrumentalist says it’s where melodic density meets contrapuntal dialogue, a free interplay of rich textures and riveting, masterly improvisation. This smooth complexity is what gives rise to the group’s uniqueness.

Like Vol. 1, the album cover art features the work of Novoa’s friend and collaborator, popular street photographer Richard Sandler."

Eva Novoa - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Chinese Gongs & Whistling.
Masa Kamaguchi - Bass.
Gerald Cleaver - Drums.

Recorded on January 19, 2020 at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, NY by Jeremy Loucas.
Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City.
Photography by Richard Sandler.
Graphic design by Sergio Vezzali.
Graphic support by Mark Smith.

In the summer of 1968, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger And The Trinity were at the height of their popularity having had chart success across Europe. This performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released for the very first time, captures legendary vocalist Julie Driscoll, Brian and group at their very best. It features a long forgotten Brian Auger original, ‘Along Came Zizzi’ plus previously unheard, live versions of Eddie Jeffersons 'Soft & Furry' and tracks from their Open and Definitely What! albums.
The booklet includes a brand new interview with Brian Auger recalling his memories of playing the festival, as well as photos of the band on stage from the actual
concert.

Nachgepresste Vinyl-Zusammenstellung von frühen Singles und EPs der kanadischen Alternative-Künstlerins LOLO! Die aus Toronto, Kanada, stammende LOLO hat sich zu einem aufstrebenden Star der alternativen Popmusik entwickelt. Ihr Durchbruch gelang ihr mit ihrer Overkill-EP, in der sie sich mit peinlicher Adoleszenz (,lonely and pathetic"), Herzschmerz (,hurt less") und Selbstironie (,death wish") auseinandersetzt. Das People Magazine bezeichnete sie daraufhin als ,Emerging Artist" und Spotify nahm sie in seine EQUAL-Kampagne auf, die aufstrebende Künstlerinnen fördert. Nachdem sie bei Hopeless Records unterschrieben hatte, trat LOLO mit ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit der Alt-Pop-Künstlerin Maggie Lindemann ins Rampenlicht. Der Song ,debbie downer" landete in allen Pop/Alt-Playlists und brachte ihr Tourneen und Festivalauftritte beim Lollapalooza und Sad Summer Festival sowie eine UK/EU-Tournee mit Leah Kate ein. Mit der Veröffentlichung ihrer zweiten EP ,Debbie Downer" feierte LOLO mit dem eingängigen ,u turn me on (but u give me depression)" Erfolge im kanadischen Pop-Radio und gestaltet die Alternative-Pop-Szene weiter mit, zuletzt mit ihrem 2024 erschienenen Debütalbum ,Falling For Robots And Whishing I was One". "LOLO creates honest, grungy breakup anthems and hot-girl bangers that mix genres and confuse categories."-Westword "Full of all the anger, angst, cynicism and depression that makes a proper pop punk artist, Toronto singer-songwriter LOLO is well on the rise." -Paper Für Fans von Charlotte Sands, Maggie Linderman, Stand Atlantic, Alternative Rock, Indie-Pop, Punkpop Diese neue Vinyl-Ausgabe der Singles-Compilation kommt in transparentem Rot!

WRWTFWW Records is very happy to release Swiss cult band Grauzone’s recording of their April 12th 1980 live show at Gaskessel in their hometown of Bern. The 9-track album, documenting the very beginnings of the group, is available as a limited edition white vinyl LP in heavy 350gsm sleeve with special artwork by band member Stephan Eicher.

Experience the early Grauzone days, live from Bern, Switzerland, with a concert recorded at legendary local venue Gaskessel, with Martin Eicher on guitar and vocals, Christian G.T. Trüssel on bass, Marco Repetto on drums, Stephan Eicher on synth, and Claudine Chirac on saxophone. The performance is a true time capsule of the early 80s underground, showcasing the punk side of Grauzone with renditions of songs that were never officially released, as well as future fan-favorite “Moskau”. A piece of Swiss music history, This limited release is a must have for all Grauzone fans and DIY archivists.

About Grauzone:

The pioneering band from Bern (Switzerland) had a short-lived but highly-regarded career which birthed a cult discography that still fascinates and resonates today. Consisting of core members Martin Eicher, Stephan Eicher, and Marco Repetto, and on-and-off participants Christian GT Trüssel, Claudine Chirac, and Ingrid Berney, the elusive group broke new grounds in the early 80s, experimenting with punk and industrial music, early techno sounds, minimalism, new wave, pop, and various electronics. With an innovative and polished approach to design, visuals, performance, and all around style and philosophy on top of their superb music, the constantly transforming unit developed a whole experience - the Grauzone experience: wild and unpredictable, yet sophisticated and cohesive, or as Swiss music historian Lurker Grand would call it, "an Art band with a Punk attitude".

Completely rejecting the music industry rules and refusing to play the game of promotion, touring, release schedules, and TV appearances even though they had a multi-platinum international hit with the song "Eisbär", the band quickly disintegrated in full convention-defying glory, leaving behind an inspiring music legacy for the world to discover and discover again, one generation after the other.

Stephan Eicher went on to be, arguably, the most successful Swiss musician ever, with an international career extending from pop chanson to experimental escapades and collaborations with Moondog, artists Sophie Calle and Sylvie Fleury, and author Martin Suter among many other luminaries. Marco Repetto flourished as a techno and ambient producer, releasing multiple projects including releases on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label.

VERY LIMITED 2025 REPRESS ON BEAM OF LIGHT VINYL .

Everything changed for The Beths when they released their debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in 2018. The indie rock band had long been nurtured within Auckland, New Zealand’s tight-knit music scene, working full-time during the day and playing music with friends after hours. Full of uptempo pop rock songs with bright, indelible hooks, the LP garnered them critical acclaim from outlets like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, and they set out for their first string of shows overseas. They quit their jobs, said goodbye to their home town, and devoted themselves entirely to performing across North America and Europe. They found themselves playing to crowds of devoted fans and opening for acts like Pixies and Death Cab for Cutie. Almost instantly, The Beths turned from a passion project into a full-time career in music.

Songwriter and lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes worked on what would become The Beths’ second LP, Jump Rope Gazers, in between these intense periods of touring. Like the group’s earlier music, the album tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the communality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends. Stokes’s writing on Jump Rope Gazers grapples with the uneasy proposition of leaving everything and everyone you know behind on another continent, chasing your dreams while struggling to stay close with loved ones back home.

"If you're at a certain age, all your friends scatter to the four winds,” Stokes says. “We did the same thing. When you're home, you miss everybody, and when you're away, you miss everybody. We were just missing people all the time.”

With songs like the rambunctious “Dying To Believe” and the tender, shoegazey “Out of Sight,” The Beths reckon with the distance that life necessarily drives between people over time. People who love each other inevitably fail each other. “I’m sorry for the way that I can’t hold conversations/They’re such a fragile thing to try to support the weight of,” Stokes sings on “Dying to Believe.” The best way to repair that failure, in The Beths’ view, is with abundant and unconditional love, no matter how far it has to travel. On “Out of Sight,” she pledges devotion to a dearly missed friend: “If your world collapses/I’ll be down in the rubble/I’d build you another,” she sings.

“It was a rough year in general, and I found myself saying the words, 'wish you were here, wish I was there,’ over and over again,” she says of the time period in which the album was written. Touring far from home, The Beths committed themselves to taking care of each other as they were trying at the same time to take care of friends living thousands of miles away. They encouraged each other to communicate whenever things got hard, and to pay forward acts of kindness whenever they could. That care and attention shines through on Jump Rope Gazers, where the quartet sounds more locked in than ever. Their most emotive and heartfelt work to date, Jump Rope Gazers stares down all the hard parts of living in communion with other people, even at a distance, while celebrating the ferocious joy that makes it all worth it -- a sentiment we need now more than ever.

Die Globale Girl Group KATSEYE veröffentlicht am 27. Juni 2025 ihre EP „BEAUTIFUL CHAOS“, welche ab sofort als CD und Vinyl erworben werden kann. Mit millionenfachen Streams sowie viralen Performances auf Social Media, zählt KATSEYE zu einer der spannendsten Girl Groups die nationale, kulturelle und künstlerische Grenzen überschreitet. Seit der Entstehung durch die in Zusammenarbeit mit HYBE und Greffen Records, begeistert die sechsköpfige Gruppe mit einem unverwechselbaren Sound aus Pop- und K-Pop Einflüssen und kombiniert starke Vocals, aussagekräftige Performances und einer klaren visuellen Identität. Mit ihren ersten Singles „Debut“ (2024), die vom Rolling Stone als einer der „Songs You Need to know“ gelistet wurde und „Touch“ (2024), die auf der Billboard-Liste der Top Songs 2024 landete, erzielte KATSEYE internationale Aufmerksamkeit. Heute hat die Gruppe eine wachsende Fanbase, die über verschiedene Kontinente hinweg aktiv ist. Das neue Album knüpft an der vorherigen EP „SSI (Soft is Strong)“ (2024) und läutet eine neue Ära ein, die sich musikalisch stark von den früheren Projekten unterscheidet.

New Artwork. Lucrecia Dalt ist eine produktive und grenzenlose Musikerin, Performerin, Komponistin und Klangkünstlerin, die sowohl Genre als auch Form herausfordert, indem sie vertraute Elemente der Pop- und experimentellen Musik auseinander nimmt und sie auf unerwartete Weise neu zusammensetzt. Mit ihrem hochgelobten Album "¡Ay!" aus dem Jahr 2022 gelang ihr der Durchbruch bei einem breiteren Publikum. Dalt hat sich auch als Komponistin für Film und Fernsehen einen Namen gemacht, unter anderem mit ihrer originellen Filmmusik für die HBO-Serie "The Baby" und den in Cannes 2024 ausgezeichneten Spielfilm "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". Mit ,cosa rara", ihrer neuen Single, die von Kultmusiklegende David Sylvian gemischt, produziert und mit einem seltenen Gastbeitrag versehen wurde, wird das Thema des eigenen Ichs zu einer unwahrscheinlichen Verliebtheit. "cosa rara" ist eine kühne Rückkehr von Dalt, die die Höhen der Liebe destilliert und mit Produktionspräzision und hyperfokussierter Klarheit klanglich umsetzt und den Hörer auf eine aufregende Eskapade aus Sound und Psychologie einlädt. Die B-Seite der 7" enthält Mabe Frattis "cosa rara (en la playa)"-Version, eine geisterhafte, von Fratti produzierte und gesungene Version desselben Songs, sowie eine 7" exklusive, erweiterte Version von Matias Aguayos, "cosa rara (dopamine dub)". Abgemischt von Sylvian und gemastert von Heba Kedry, ist die 7" eine einmalige, auf 500 Exemplare limitierte Pressung. RIYL: PJ Harvey, Broadcast, St. Vincent, ML Buch, Stereolab, Cate LeBon, Aldous Harding, Mabe Fratti, Dry Cleaning, Juana Molina.

J Mahon lässt sich von Künstlern wie Sparklehorse und Daniel Johnston inspirieren und erschafft eine erbauliche und zugängliche "Chamber-Pop"-Klanglandschaft, die an Bands wie Spiritualized und Sigur Ros erinnert, während seine gefühlvolle Stimme und seine Lyrik an andere Koryphäen wie Jeff Buckley, Townes Van Zandt und Joanna Newsome erinnern.
2023 machte sich J Mahon daran, ein Album zu kreieren, das sich wie ein "echtes" Album anfühlt. Ein Album, das Erinnerungen an die Stunden weckt, die man als Teenager mit Kopfhörern im Bett verbracht hat, während man an die Decke starrte und sich Gedanken über die Zukunft machte.
"Begin Again, Again" wird begleitet von Callum Brown (Ulrika Spacek) am Schlagzeug, Victoria RH am Gesang, Geige und Bratsche von Clementine Brown (The Penguin Cafe), wobei alle anderen Instrumente und Streicherarrangements von Jarrod geschrieben und gespielt wurden. Co-produziert und gemischt mit Syd Kemp und gemastert von Jason Mitchell (PJ Harvey, XTC, Aldous Harding).

Smut - die Band aus Chicago, bestehend aus Sängerin/Texterin Tay Roebuck, Gitarrist Andie Min, Bassist John Steiner, Gitarrist Sam Ruschman und Schlagzeuger Aidan O'Connor - hat neue Energie getankt und sich auf das grenzenlose Potenzial besonnen, das entsteht, wenn man mit Menschen, die man liebt, Musik macht. In neuer Besetzung - "Tomorrow Comes Crashing" ist das erste Album von Smut mit O'Connor und Steiner - konzentrierten sich Smut darauf, die großen Gefühle einzufangen, die entstehen, wenn man sich zum ersten Mal in Musik verliebt. Das Ergebnis sind zehn intensive und bombastische Songs. Roebuck, Ruschman und Min gründeten die Band ein Jahrzehnt zuvor in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nach Jahren in der DIY-Szene von Cincinnati nahmen sie ihr Debütalbum "How the Light Felt" auf, das eine Offenbarung war. Pitchfork beschrieb es als "eine rigorose, Jahrzehnte umspannende Studie" und eine "gut geölte Drehung des Gitarrenpops der späten 80er". Under the Radar nannte es "Pop-Perfektion", die "subtile Haken mit wehmütigen Texten verbindet". "Tomorrow Comes Crashing" zeigt die Band mit neuem Elan. Der Song "Syd Sweeney", inspiriert von der Schauspielerin, ist das Herzstück der Platte. Es handelt davon, wie seltsam es sein kann, eine Frau zu sein und von Leuten missverstanden zu werden, die einen nicht einmal kennen. Der Song wird von tuckernden Gitarren und großen, rollenden Trommeln angetrieben. Mit anderen Worten: Stadionrock über Wahrnehmung. Paramore trifft "Dookie". "She connects to the youth and the girls in the water/All she amounts to is someone's daughter", singt Roebuck in einem besonders poetischen Moment. Der Song endet in einem Thrash-Metal-inspirierten Breakdown. Es ist ekstatisch. Um die Platte zu machen, nahmen Smut "so live wie möglich" zusammen mit Aron Kobayashi-Ritch (Momma) in einem Studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in zehn Tagen auf. Kurz bevor sie nach New York aufbrachen, heirateten Roebuck und Min, wobei der Rest der Band an ihrer Seite war. Die Aufnahmen waren ein wahrer Kraftakt: Sie fuhren mit ihrer gesamten Ausrüstung von Chicago nach Brooklyn, schliefen nach 12-stündigen Studiotagen auf den Sofas und Böden von Freunden, und am Ende war Roebucks Stimme völlig durch. Smut war schon immer ein DIY-Projekt. Weil sie es lieben und genau so tun müssen. "Tomorrow Comes Crashing" ist der Höhepunkt dieses DIY-Gedankens: eine Platte zu machen, die die Intensität, die Launenhaftigkeit und die Emotionen ihrer bisherigen Reise vollständig einfängt.