The NYC band’s second album races through grunge riffs, wild theatre, bruised jokes, and rock attitude built for repeat plays. "Die About It" kicks in like someone knocked over the mic stand and decided that was the correct intro. Ridiculous Bitch are back with their second full-length album, and the New York City crew sound louder, sharper, and way too alive to be filed under...

Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...