Pitchfork’s weekly roundup highlights new releases including Tinashe’s Popstar, Gilla Band’s Pugnello, Julia Jacklin’s The Gem, M83’s I Wrote You a Letter, and more. This brief summarizes what each record sounds like and who it’s likely for.
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Tinashe’s Popstar reworks mainstream pop templates into a self-aware eighth album that channels major contemporary producers.
Gilla Band’s Pugnello pushes their noise-rock into twisted, danceable territory—chaotic but engineered for movement.
# What this roundup is
Who it's for: listeners who like glossy, reference-rich pop that knowingly reassembles mainstream formulas.
Listen cue: start with tracks that mix R&B cadence and arena-ready hooks.
Pugnello extends Gilla Band's approach to noise-rock: unpredictable, abrasive, and kinetic. The Irish group turns chaotic textures into something that compels movement—less a conventional song collection than a tumultuous rave with jagged edges.
Who it's for: fans of experimental rock and groups that prioritize texture and intensity over tidy songcraft.
Listen cue: expect battered rhythms and uneasy climaxes that push toward catharsis.
Who it's for: listeners who want singer-songwriter albums that read like rooms or specific places.
Listen cue: focus on the quieter tracks to hear the record's sense of domestic detail.
Anthony Gonzalez frames this release as a reflective follow-up to earlier M83 work, especially the band's late-2000s material. It's comparatively subdued and relies on orchestral and synth palette choices—choirs, saxophone, string quartet, and layered synths—to carry its emotional weight rather than dense lyrical exposition.
Who it's for: fans of synth-rich, nostalgic electronic rock that prioritizes atmosphere.
Listen cue: expect sweeping synth textures and cinematic arrangements.
Clerestory is split conceptually: one side pairs the guitarist/composer with the JACK Quartet, the other reinvents those compositions with vocals and varied instrumentation. The two halves are presented as complementary—compositionally rigorous on one side, reimagined and texturally wider on the other.
Who it's for: listeners interested in contemporary composition that bridges chamber ensemble work and indie instrumentation.
Listen cue: compare the two sides in sequence to hear the compositional transformations.
Bullion's Nearly blends '80s pop-R&B production sensibilities with new-wave edges. The record reads as introspective and collaborative: the front-facing voice contends with doubt and isolation while working through warm, melancholic arrangements.
Who it's for: listeners who favor hybrid pop that mixes retro production cues with modern songwriting.
Listen cue: look for tracks that balance smooth synth lines and candid vocal moments.
# Quick listening plan 1) Start with Popstar for polished, high-gloss pop. 2) Jump to Pugnello if you want intensity and unpredictability. 3) Move to The Gem or I Wrote You a Letter for place-driven, reflective albums. 4) Finish with Clerestory and Nearly to hear compositional and production-focused experiments.
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