Album Review: Better Dreaming by tUnE-yArDs

In the end, they opted for Better Dreaming, but their pro-democracy and anti-authoritarian stance is evident throughout the record. The music, however, is anything but trash. Autocracy, hatred, persecution - the world in 2025 isn't a happy place. It wouldn't have been much of a challenge to make a dark, hopeless record that reflects these bleak times, but Tune-Yards never take the path of least resistance.

Full Review >>

Rediscovering what made her such an exciting prospect in the first place, there’s a freshness and exuberance to Merrill Garbus’s sixth outing It’s hard to believe that Tune-Yards (or, as they were slightly infuriatingly stylised back then, tUnE-yArDs) have now been around for over 15 years. In those early days, Tune-Yards was simply Merrill Garbus, a collection of instruments and a set of loop pedals, which resulted in some lo-fi but exhilarating records, such as 2009’s debut Bird Brains. In the years since, Garbus’ husband Nate Brenner has become a full-time member of the band, and they’ve dabbled in film scores (Boots Riley’s excellent Sorry To Bother You) while their sound has evolved from that early clattering chaos to something a bit more considered and soulful on this, their sixth album.

Full Review >>