Speedy Ortiz’s “Real Hair” Melds Brains With Brawn

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Speedy Ortiz
Real Hair
Carpark

Undaunted by heavy, heavy guitars and thrashing drums, loquacious Sadie Dupuis issues a steady stream of dense, intriguing lyrics with poised resolve on this exciting four-track sequel to Speedy Ortiz’s stunning 2013 long-player Major Arcana.

Adept at playing the unreliable narrator, she offers tantalizing glimpses of lives in flux, murmuring, “I don’t know whose call it was that I should share a life/With someone who resembles me and copies my speech,” in the track “Everything’s Bigger” and singing sweetly, “They say I am a spoiled mess/I never fold up what should fold/And shine much better in my house alone” on “Shine Theory.”

While smart-but-rowdy bands like the Pixies and Breeders remain obvious touchstones for the Northampton, Massachusetts, quartet, Speedy Ortiz has forged its own distinctive identity, melding brains, brawn, and a dash of eccentric magic in impressive fashion.