7/10

On his newest LP 'Through The Static', Alex Kisch, the restless mind behind Super Tuesday, shows what happens when you strip the noise away and sharpen the signal. His fourth full-length record leans into its aesthetic, trusting the weight of its craft to draw you closer. The result is a smooth and emotionally layered set that fuses dusty Americana with jagged indie edges and just enough wryness to keep things unpredictable.

Best known from his days in the 90s alt-rock underground with Boston’s Dirt Merchants, Kisch brings decades of lived-in wisdom to these songs. From the get-go, the opener 'Natural Mystery' sets the tone with shimmering guitar lines combined with a slight twang, anchored by a rhythm section that never overplays its hand. Tracks like 'Lucky Stars' and 'Orphans' offer a more rustic texture as steel guitar accents and unvarnished vocals lend them the feel of songs scribbled in the margins of a journal. But Kisch never lets the mood settle for long. The title-track throws jangly chords into the mix, recalling the sparkle of college radio favourites without feeling like imitation. There’s a familiarity to the palette which combines the slacker charm of Twin Peaks and the melancholy bite of 'Being There'-era Wilco, but it’s Kisch’s lyrical voice that gives the record its bite.

There’s a sense of reflection without indulgence here. 'Cliffridge (Part 2)' wrestles with choices not taken, while 'Your Time Has Come' addresses mortality with unflinching clarity, and 'The Right Thing' quietly breaks your heart without melodrama. Even the love songs, like the tender 'My Love Don’t Sleep', carry the weight of time, proof that even affection isn’t exempt from wear and wonder.

Unlike 2024’s more sprawling 'Future Tense', 'Through The Static' feels more distilled and intentional. It’s as if he has traded the open road for a crooked back porch, and from there he’s telling stories that feel half-eavesdropped, half confessional. For fans of the genre-splicing honesty of MJ Lenderman or the understated brilliance of R.E.M.’s later years, Super Tuesday’s 'Through The Static' offers a kind of companion for twilight drives and 3am reckonings.

Super Tuesday's 'Through The Static' will be available to stream from the 20th June.