Released February 6, 2026 through Mandy, Indiana.File under: noise/industrial electronic

Right off the bat, Mandy, Indiana’s sophomore album URGH is a completely different beast from their debut album I’ve Seen A Way; URGH is immediately vital and aggressively industrial, as opposed to the slow-burn build-up of the previous album, and that’s what makes it stand out.

Opening with the deep bass distortion of Sevastopol, deeply effected lyrics in vocalist Valentine Caulfield’s native French language, autotune used to amplify the chaotic nature of the track, ending with a comparatively less chaotic string section, but then rolling into the rest of the album with more bass, more distortion, more noise and more vital French lyrics against backgrounds of screaming keys and guitars, overlayed on seemingly factory programmed drum machine rhythms.

A relaxing listen this is not, and the lyrics hold dark messages that will pass by most English-only speaking listeners. From the Pitchfork review:

Caulfield’s lyrics—most of which she delivers in her native language—have always been concerned with power, specifically how interpersonal violation mimics the patterns of structural violence. In press materials, she described URGH’s lead single Magazine as “the only way I will ever get to say to my rapist: You hurt me, so I’m going to hurt you.”

URGH also has a guest appearance by alternative hip hop artist Billy Woods on the track Sicko!, where he rallies against big-pharma, bringing another dimension to the already thickly layered industrial sounds.

In a time where real underground cabals of abuses against women and girls are coming to light, where those very same evil humans have said “the me-too movement has gone too far”, where the most powerful and rich people are opening being exposed as the self-same evils they pretended to be against, the anger and frustration coming from Mandy, Indiana is all the more justified, and more so with personal experience amplifying this anger. But URGH can also be seen as a catharsis, a way to “get it out of your system”, and rage against the world in creative chaos.

For those who like Model/Actriz, Kim Gordon’s solo projects, Sextile, Debby Friday, Revolting Cocks/Cocksure and Death Grips.

Listen to “When a Flower Doesn’t Grow” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal

Released January 16, 2026 through InFiné.File under: classical crossover/ambient

This album came as somewhat of a surprise to me; I throughly did not expect to be reviewing an album of psychedelic harp music, and yet here I am, reviewing Tragic Magic by Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. Right off the bat, this album is more than the sum of its parts.

From The Guardian:

After years of touring together, Los Angeles-based composers Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore have developed what the former refers to as a “musical telepathy”. Tragic Magic, the pair’s first collaborative album, evidences this bond: born out of a short series of improv sessions in Paris, it’s a wonderfully immersive set of new age and ambient tracks, where Barwick’s airy, reverbed vocals and atmospheric synth washes interweave with, and accentuate, Lattimore’s twinkling harp.

I wouldn’t call it “new-age” per se, but I can see how someone could lump it in with Enya and Deep Forest. This is much more akin to ambient music, like Vangelis or Eno. In fact there is a “cover” of the melody Rachel’s Song from the Vangelis soundtrack to Blade Runner, which lends this album even more credibility.

Listen to “Tragic Magic” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal