(NEXSTAR) — Porches, the indie pop project of New York-based musician Aaron Maine, has always leaned toward the "demure," to borrow a term from 2024's viral catchphrase. Since the release of 2016's "Pool," Maine has carefully built upon — or stripped away at — his signature brand of dreamy DIY synths, diaristic lyricism and intimate soundscapes.
But he's never sounded quite like he does on "Shirt."
While having experimented with dance beats (most notably on 2018's "The House") and electric guitars (2021's "All Day Gentle Hold!"), Porches has so far not gone this hard or experimental since his pre-Domino Recording Company debut "Slow Dance in the Cosmos."
Though album opener "Return of the Goat" begins like many of the artist's delicate bedroom pop bops, it's interrupted after 1 minute, seemingly randomly, by a series of shrill electronic drones and staccato drums. Though the song comes back to its sweet and soft center, "Return of the Goat" serves as an alert: This isn't just any Porches album.
Next there's "Sally," which presents itself as flowery and relaxed before erupting with electric guitars and thumping drums that sounds like Porches doing My Chemical Romance. It's an unexpected turn from the artist known for his sleepy synth grooves, but Maine makes the sudden rock chorus work in conversation with the softer side of the song. Though the rest of the album doesn't sound as much like "Sally" as its boldness would imply, it does prepare your ear to hear some things you aren't expecting.
"Rag," meanwhile, which was released as a single, goes from Maine delivering some of the album's most gorgeous melodic verses before a dramatic, slightly out-of-tune country-rock chorus drops out of the sky. It's the second such big swing on the album and once again, Maine makes it work. This isn't that surprising, since Maine is really good at making music but it's nonetheless impressive how well he's able to marry these new brash elements to his more sumptuous sounds.
Elsewhere, Maine explores other genres and sounds, including folk-country (lead single "Joker" is perhaps the best folk-electronica melding since Madonna's "Don't Tell Me"), grunge ("Rag," "Usa"), and even New Order-esque pop ("Bread Believer").
Elements of grunge are peppered throughout the record and Maine recently told Stereogum he intended to make a "hypergrunge" (a term he says he hopes he coined) album inspired by Nine Inch Nails. Maine said he hopes the albums various curveballs recreated the feel of a "live rock band but totally chopped up."
Storytelling-wise, "Shirt" features some of Maine's best lyrical storytelling — even if I'm not entirely sure what story is being told. Though the narratives might not be linear or precise, the emotional journey they plot makes perfect sense. While most of the album draws a melodramatic and angsty portrait of youth, love and loss, Maine buttons up "Shirt" (pun not intended) with the sober piano lilt of "Music," which seems to serve as a retroactive mission statement. Here, Maine describes the enduring comfort of music, particularly rock.
There are boundless emotions contained within "Shirt," but here Maine seems to suggest that through it all, there's always been — and always will be — music.
"All my life, all I've known — all it was was rock and roll," sings Maine. "... I pray to God the music takes me home."
Ultimately, "Shirt" shapes up to be Porches' most accomplished and most ambitious album to date. The album serves as a reminder of why many of us have followed Maine for nearly a decade and hints at even greater things to come.
Score: ★★★★☆