Indistinct Conversations

On , continue the healing process they began on . That album was nothing less than a rebirth that found mending their relationship with making music (and reuniting with former members and ) in much the same way music itself helped their father recuperate from a stroke. Maybe even more so than sounds like the active process of healing and acceptance. While writing its songs, came to terms with their identity as a non-binary femme, as well as past traumas and the ongoing complexities of relationships. To give these subjects the room they deserve, concentrates on the two constants of 's music: 's gorgeous, vibrato-laden vocals and their emotive guitar playing. Both of these elements express the merits of being light and flexible when dealing with pain and uncertainty on songs like "Diaphanous," where 's realization "I get caught up in the wrong stuff/And I have to laugh" floats above churning riffs and drums. On "Weight of That Weekend," their acoustic strumming sounds like emerging from the darkness as they sing, "As long as I'm breathing/This is a prayer for love." As ' contemplative, open-ended musings glide along on 's gleaming guitars, they reflect a state of becoming that feels therapeutic instead of indecisive. Thinking, feeling, and healing circle each other on "Love in 2 Stages," a meditation on how love and communication aren't always reciprocated, and on the hypnotic "Compelled," which presents a love triangle in unapologetically complicated ways. At times, the album's drift feels more like an experience than a collection of songs, so when hints of 's rock roots resurface, they're surprising and welcome calls to action. On the excellent, ever-so-slightly grungy homage "Footnotes," presents themself as the kind of devoted partner they deserve, while "A/B Futures" tumbles like the momentum of their feelings. These subtle but confident, sneakily catchy songs reaffirm that is as relevant to the singer/songwriter movement of the 2010s and 2020s as they were to the noisy indie rock scene of the 2000s when they first emerged. ~ Heather Phares