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For the Brooklyn band Blair, emo is an action, a wringing of feeling from the spark where it forms. On their new three-track
Tears to Grow EP, Blair channels the tattered glow of â90s Midwest emo and blown-out Northwest indie rock through the hearts and minds of young born-and-bred New Yorkers. Theirs are songs not for long drives, but for anxious subway rides. When the members of Blair lock in, thoughâwhen the poised noise of the guitars weaves with the textured swoop of the drums, when the call-and-response vocals collectively build to a scream, when they make room for a rushing solo before all crashing back togetherâthe sound of
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Mal Devisa can magnify her voice from a whisper to a wail over the course of a single word, and in the past five years, her diverse body of work has spanned sparse folk and experimental rap. The new album
Wisdom Teeth is her most sprawling release to date, incorporating rock, rap, lo-fi beats, and an elegant rendition of a jazz standard. On the gorgeous opener âJDâs tune/The Spring,â she calls up a medley of memories and sounds that exemplify her eclectic ethos. The song is perfumed with vivid imagery: Descriptions of tear-stained collars, white oleander flowers, and boys with gasoline on their lips evoke an exquisite eeriness thatâs mirrored in the instrumentation. As the music oscillates between clattering drums and restrained piano, Mal Devisaâs rich alto anchors the evolving sound. She glides effortlessly even as she spans octaves: âWill you remember me? Iâm the pain when you leave,â she sings, leaving an