By WDCE Music Directors

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:: The Music Directors are March-ing into the new month with a fresh set of reviews!  

:: March 1, 2026

:: Mitski – Nothing’s About to Happen to Me 

Genre: Alternative 

Release: Album 

Recommended Tracks: “In a Lake,” “Cats,” “I’ll Change for You,” “Charon’s Obol”

There is something mystical—and potentially magical—about Mitski’s new album. The songs, ranging from the avenue of indie rock to soft rock—even American folklore sounding, encapsulate her stylistic range. I can say, with full confidence, that there is not one song—within Nothing’s About to Happen to Me—that I dislike (I struggled to compose only three or four songs for the “Recommended Tracks”). The slower tempo tracks (i.e. Dead Women) pair well with the high intensity of songs including “Where’s My Phone?” and “Lighting” because both spark feelings of confusion, and possibly melancholy, just through different musical avenues. Additionally, the album constitutes easy listening as Mitski’s voice is in a state of perpetual pleasantry.  

         — Sophia Sciulli

Joey Valence & Brae — HYPERYOUTH (afterparty)

Genre: Hip-hop 

Release: Deluxe Album

Recommended Tracks: “push the pipe,” “bustamove,” “i like this,” “HYPERYOUTH,” “GIVE IT TO ME”

Two years ago, NO HANDS felt inescapable. The year prior, PUNK TACTICS burst onto the scene, in full aggressive rap-rock, nerdcore glory. Since then Joey Valence & Brae have always been on my periphery. I must confess that a hip-hop duo from State College, Pennsylvania did not inspire much confidence in me. I also must confess that deluxe albums aren’t always as awe-inspiring as their deluxe status implies. I fear my initial biases may have put me off peak. HYPERYOUTH (afterparty) is Beastie Boys intensity and flow, mixed with internet-references and witty irreverence, but there’s enough self-awareness to offset the cockiness. It’s seriously unserious and I’m here for this afterparty. 

— Jonathan Sackett

Bruno Mars – The Romantic

Genre: Pop/R&B

Release: Album  

Recommended Tracks: “Risk It All,” “Why You Wanna Fight?” “Nothing Left,” “Dance With Me”

After nearly a decade away from solo releases, expectations for Bruno Mars were incredibly high, which makes The Romantic feel unfortunately underwhelming. I genuinely enjoyed the Latin touches woven throughout the record—the syncopated percussion, flashes of mariachi-style horns, and smooth rhythmic guitar lines add a welcome sense of color and movement that the album really needs. But beyond those moments, it doesn’t come close to his earlier work, especially 24K Magic or Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The album is technically spotless—clean production, tight performances, and effortless vocals—but that same polished perfection also makes it feel a bit hollow. These songs play like echoes of music we already know—well-curated nostalgia rather than true reinvention—and that critique isn’t new; even “Treasure” drew heavy comparisons to Breakbot’s “Baby I’m Yours,” and this continued reliance on familiar formulas makes the derivative edges impossible to ignore. His charisma and vocal talent are undeniable, but even that can’t fully overcome the occasionally corny, generic lyricism and creative restraint. That said, it’s still Bruno—the hooks are catchy, the songs are easy to enjoy, and it will absolutely perform well commercially—but it leaves me wishing he had taken bolder risks instead of playing it this safe.

— Piper Turri

Ms* Gloom — J is for Joon

Genre: Hyperpop

Release: Album

Recommended Tracks: “Dumb 4 All,” “Joker,” “Jinx!”

Ms Gloom walks the fine line between consumer friendly, Charlie XCX hyperpop and internet-absorbed Reddit-pop. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the lyrics are coherent and heavily manipulated, following the melody of synths, yet not to a point of artificiality. Still, random soundbites and trippy, layered vocals pile on top of these choruses, edging it further towards electronic dance over hyperpop. The tracks on this record bring about memories of a how i’m feeling now era Charlie XCX, yet slightly more laid-back and atmospheric, giving zero seconds of silence, always saturated by harmonizing synths. In the same vein as her influences, Ms Gloom isn’t “carried” by her electronic production, since her repetitive vocals give the tracks their primary structure, focusing the listeners attention not on lyrics, but on the instrumentalization of her own voice.

— Jacob Bennett

Rob Zombie — The Great Satan

Genre: Hellbilly metal 

Release: Album

Recommended Tracks: “F.T.W.84,” “Heathen Days,” “The Black Scorpion,” “Unclean Animals”

My insatiable thirst for the hellbilly himself has been satiated once again. Rob Zombie’s first album in four years is a spiritual sequel to his debut Hellbilly Deluxe. Guitarist Riggs and bassist Blasko return for The Great Satan, and so does Zombie’s unique New England industrial-metal. Gore-tastic riffs, and vampiric synths ravage across crisp drum loops, all while Zombie’s vocals shred through. The Great Satan is a great return to form; punk-ish metal and metal-ish punk are front and center. 

— Jonathan Sackett

Iron & Wine – Hen’s Teeth

Genre: Indie Folk

Release: Album 

Recommended Tracks: “Roses,” “In Your Ocean,” “Grace Notes,” “Dates and Dead People”

As an avid listener of Iron & Wine—from 2004’s “The Trapeze Swinger” to 2017’s “Call It Dreaming”—I can honestly say Sam Beam has somehow only gotten better with time. Rooted in Southern tradition, Hen’s Teeth leans fully into a folky, bluegrass warmth, layered with fiddles, banjos, and textured percussion that feels lovingly worn-in rather than ornamental. The whole album has this maudlin, golden-hour quality—like flipping through a stack of old photographs shot on your grandfather’s camera, soft around the edges but vividly sharp in feeling. The strings, especially, are used so expressively; they don’t just accompany the songs, they swell and sigh with them, turning even the quietest moments into something cinematic. It’s lush without being overproduced, nostalgic without feeling stuck in the past—a testament to a level of craft, consistency, and quiet sincerity that feels seriously unmatched.

— Piper Turri

American Football — Bad Moons

Genre: Post Rock

Release: Single

Despite some fitting bands preceding them, American Football is often credited as defining the genre of Midwest Emo, harnessing the sound into a template of barebones, guitar centered accompaniments, fronted by “bad” vocals. It’s not as much of a critique as you think it is! Raw sounding vocals in the context of playfully constructed guitar progressions yield a buddy-band feeling, transporting you to the basement of a young college graduate’s Urbana, Illinois rental house. And such is most of American Football’s music. Coming off the back of their LP3 album, there’s LP4, releasing this May. Where LP3 diverges from their earlier albums, is through higher attention to melodic, pleasant vocals, as well as moving towards concert-level production. You may ask yourself, “Aren’t raw vocals and garage-band arrangements the core of all Midwest Emo music??” You’d be right, explaining why LP3 and now Bad Moons are better suited to a post-rock label. Bad Moons is the furthest extent of this sonic divergence, with the 8-minute track beginning with ethereal, high-pitch piano arpeggiations, fading out during the 4-minute mark, only to fade back in swinging with shoegazey string distortion and kick-drum indulgence. I really like American Football’s new sound. Its members are nearly 30 years older than when they began making music in college, so I’m happy to see that their musicality ages alongside their minds and bodies. 

— Jacob Bennett

deathcrash — Somersaults

Genre: Slowcore

Release: Album

Recommended Tracks: “Somersaults,” “Triumph,” “Marie’s Last Dance”

Somersaults follows that beloved slowcore track format, starting with emotionally low tempos, mixing two simple instruments (typically a drum and guitar), working towards an exciting final minute, as rising amplitude vocals battle eclectic instrumentation for sonic domination. No better example than the title track, “Somersaults,” which tosses in one digital instrument after another, stacking vocal verses to keep up with this slow-climbing volume. “Triumph,” my favorite track on this record, stands out through its difference. You are hurled into the deep end with highly altered eclectic guitars, generating a feeling of longingness, all before the lyrics even begin, hitting you with the heart-crushing line, “Are you gonna marry him?” as Tiernan Banks begs his lover, saying “I hope you stay.” A musical theme represented time and time again, yes, but few mournful songs are able to pull off the same emotional deliverance as deathcrash can in “Triumph.” In its essence, this album is about wanting someone or something unattainable, and it portrays this feeling very well.

— Jacob Bennett

Nothing — a short history of decay

Genre: slow-gaze

Release: Album

Recommended Tracks: “cannibal world,” “a short history of decay,” “purple strings,” “nerve scales”

Strip shoegaze to its core, rip down the wall of sound, and subdue fuzz and reverb to the most necessary and you will be left with Nothing. a short history of decay is at times more dream-pop than shoegaze, but is deeply moving. The production is mature and restrained; it demands a good pair of headphones and a bit of patience. There’s no wall of fuzz, there’s no constant buzz to hide any errors, so the intentionality of each sound is paramount. It shows. The walls of sounds still pop-up; the juxtaposition is striking. a short history of decay is soft but it isn’t weak. If there’s any praise I can levy, it’s that I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Nothing is right up Hideo Kojima’s alley. 

— Jonathan Sackett

Bill Callahan – My Days of 58

Genre: Indie Rock/Folk

Release: Album 

Recommended Tracks: “Why Do Men Sing,” “Lonely City,” “And Dream Land”

Pleasantly surprised by My Days of 58, the song lyrics are inherently creative while simultaneously enjoyable to listen to. The eclectic mix of the electric guitar, 1980s synth noises, psychedelia, and mode of conversational singing awoke something raw in me. Although I am not a middle-aged man, I can relate to his tendency to be an existentialist and reflect on his earlier years. Listening to Bill Callahan’s new album felt like I was listening to his inner monologue which in all honesty I enjoyed—connecting with a person whom I have never met before enriched my psyche. 

   — Sophia Sciulli

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