By Stephan Boissonneault
From their demolished jam space to a new wave rebirth, Montreal’s synth-punk trio find poetry in the ruins on Odditi Populaire.
renforshort – dear amelia
Interscope Records
by Ben Boddez
- Published on
As pop-punk storms back into the forefront of culture, nobody did it better this year than this 20-year-old Torontonian. Though modern-day figurehead Travis Barker does appear on one track, the combination of renforshort’s blunt songwriting and bouncier Strokes-esque pop-rock sound makes her work stand out from the pack of seemingly increasingly samey tunes in the mainstream.
With an overarching concept of a self-help column and lyrics examining struggling to stay true to herself amid various social pressures, her idolization of the genre contributes to some truly anthemic choruses and heart wrenching imagery delivered by a strikingly emotive voice.
By Sam Hendriks
The Last Sound on Earth channels empathy and acceptance through shimmering lo-fi pop.
By Adriel Smiley
The celebrated hip-hop personality reminds listeners why he’s been around for more than two decades with Start Anew.
