May 21, 2018

Speedy Ortiz’s Odd, Inventive New Album Will Get You Hooked

“Twerp Verse” conveys gnawing unease with easy grace.

Album Review

Speedy Ortiz
Twerp Verse
Carpark

Speedy Ortiz leader Sadie Dupuis blends flavorful ingredients in intriguing ways. Her recipe includes: twisty electric guitars that encompass bright melodies and scratchy noise; inventive wordplay that avoids the obvious without succumbing to obscurity; and Dupuis’ subtly commanding vocals, which convey gnawing unease with easy grace rather than histrionics. If the approach of her quartet’s stellar third album no longer surprises, Twerp Verse still finds Dupuis and company sounding as fresh as ever. Start with “Lean in When I Suffer,” an oddly jaunty account of a panic attack, or the spooky “Backslidin’,” where she observes, “I guess we’re backsliding into hell, but at least we know each other well,” and prepare to be hooked.

4 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

4 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate