Amateur Hour

Nothing short of sensational return from Amateur Hour with a fourth album of dream-laced noise pop invention that takes their characteristic "The Cannanes through a meat-grinder" sound and refines it to its sharpest, most defined point yet. The pedigree of the three players involved is undeniable (both Hugo Randulv - solo - and Dan Johansson - as Sewer Election - are already separately involved in at least two of our most spun records of 2025, not to mention how many others over the last half decade), though when they combine as Amateur Hour they seem to access a collective understanding their other forays and experiments can't quite reach. A good deal of this can be credited to Julie Bjernelind, a fearless singer with more interest in spirited intensity than technical execution, tracing her own divination of existential angst through a uniquely forged lineage British folk song, Nico psychodrama and indiepop melodicism. When allied with Randulv and Johansson's adept handling of noise aesthetics and crystalline guitars, the results are breathlessly on-point, Går I Kras one of those records when nothing does what it shouldn't, expertly arranged and perfectly pitched. If you require any further shorthand for what Amateur Hour do, think of them as a Kranky band that never were, and one of the few contemporary bands to add something new and compelling to the shoegaze-dreampop continuum. An undeniable band, almost certainly better than anyone else doing this kind of thing right now. Unlikely to be many better records than Går I Kras in 2025. Edition of 500, and unlikely to hang around.