Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy (2018) (Matador) *Editor’s pick
Will Toledo’s re-recording of his 2011 album, Twin Fantasy, has been making love with my ears for weeks. The original version was a home-spun package of neurotic lo-fi pop, rich with quirk and wit that managed to load enough melodic sensibilities and muscular riffage to jumpstart a promising career. With this revamped rendition, Toledo has churned out his first mini-masterpiece under the Car Seat Headrest moniker, an album born of eroticism, biting irony, sexual confusion and self-medication. Now evolved from a charming imitation of his most obvious influences, Toledo zeroes in on the teenage experience with remarkable insight, all the while proving himself to be a miraculous talent capable of crafting some of the most forward-thinking guitar pop out there. Seriously, if you consider yourself a fan of transformative indie rock, you need to listen to this album.
Rating: 9.1/10
Trial Track: “Beach Life-in-Death”