Giving New York hipsters The Drums a run for their money as the lords of the happy/sad genre, Thao Nguyen’s third record Know Better Learn Better is a joyous mix of uplifting indie anthems combined with heartsick lyrics. Her childish vocals are equal parts Hope Sandoval and Chan Marshall and nearly all the tracks have an infectiously upbeat quality and feature some of the best tunes this writer has heard in a while (‘When We Swam,’ ‘Fixed It!’). Maybe sad is the new happy after all.
Edwin McFee
Key Track: ‘When We Swam’