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ARTIST
TITLE
In Love Again
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
TR 586CD TR 586CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
1/17/2025

Ex-Vöid -- featuring Lan McArdle (Joanna Gruesome, Lanny) and Owen Williams (The Tubs) -- return with their second LP: In Love Again. Joined by Laurie Foster (bass) and George Rothman (drums), the record sees the band flourish from a chaotic power punk group into a fully-fledged pop behemoth. Taking in elements of shoegaze ("Pinhead"), country ("Outline"), '90s indie rock ("In Love Again") and pretty much the entire history of guitar music, In Love Again reveals McArdle and Williams to be true students of perfect pop. The pair have been collaborating for a decade now, having played in Joanna Gruesome as teenagers, and In Love Again sees them both building on the sound they've honed together and embracing a new, unapologetic attitude towards songcraft. Backed by the tight-yet-raucous rhythm section of Foster and Rothman, In Love Again delivers as a huge pop album without sacrificing any of the hardcore propulsion that characterized the band's first album. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Ex-Vöid sound is the sublime blend of McArdle and Williams' vocals: close, folk-indebted harmonies which guide the listener through an onslaught of hooks. And while this is utilized to full effect on In Love Again, the album also sees McArdle make full use of their vocal range. In keeping with their new sound, McArdle and Williams have taken a more autobiographical, nuanced approach to lyric writing this time around, a move influenced by touring with Waxahatchee. The hints of folk and country embedded in the tunes also stretch to this new lyrical approach -- storytelling and heartbreak abound. The band's first LP, Bigger Than Before, received positive coverage in Pitchfork, SPIN, Stereogum, and others. It received airtime on BBC Radio 6, and saw the band support/tour with acts such as Waxahatchee, Speedy Ortiz and Alvvays. Williams also fronts The Tubs -- whose 2023 debut saw them touring internationally and receiving plaudits from Pitchfork, The Guardian and Iggy Pop.