Success has sweetened their tunes but hasn‰’t softened them

Every release by Speedy Ortiz has found them updating their sound substantially. 2012‰’s Sports EP turned Speedy Ortiz from a one-lady lo-fi project into a four-person juggernaut. Last year‰’s_ Major Arcana_ upped the production value, bringing a far wider audience for their smartly off-kilter slackerism. And now, Real Hair finds a shift in songwriting style. If Sports and Major flirted with melody, this EP is dating it, with sweet hooks adding a new accessibility to their sound. However, (we are still talking about Speedy Ortiz here, after all) behind every sugary line is a gleeful melee of noise, all smashing drums and spastic, blissed-out guitar runs. Frontsiren Sadie Dupuis‰’ lyrics are more intelligible now than on any other release, finely tuned and placed front and center. But even their melancholy poetry is unable to offset the breathless joy of this whirlwind EP.

RIYL: Helium, The Breeders, Joanna Gruesome
Recommended: 1, 3, 4