There's a sort of unspoken line one can cross with an emotive vocal style. On one side of it, healthy reflection is accessible, encouraged even. On the other, a reaction of mild cringing is not uncalled for.
For our recurring Self-Portrait feature, we ask musicians to take a self-portrait photo and write a list of personal things about themselves, things that their fans might not already know about them. This Self-Portrait is by Braids.
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The last Braids album, 2020’s Shadow Offering, mixed big, bold pop jams like “Young Buck” in amongst the electronic pop band’s more plaintive, exploratory work. The new Braids album doesn’t really work that way. Euphoric Recall, out today, is a lot more chill, and even when it intensifies, it does so in artful ways that betray the influence of Björk, Kate Bush, and other leftfield pop greats. The lack of straight-up bangers is a worrisome approach if you, like me, love pop music. But damn if Braids don’t work wonders within these constraints. (Also, I may be exaggerating a bit here; “Evolution” slaps; it just slaps in gentle, meditative fashion.)
On the song Left/Right, one of the standout tracks on Calgary-born trio Braids’ new album, singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston quietly sings “In all your glory,…