Review / 200 Words Or Less
Maps & Atlases
Lightlessness is Nothing New

Barsuk (2018) Brendan Hilliard

Maps & Atlases – Lightlessness is Nothing New cover artwork
Maps & Atlases – Lightlessness is Nothing New — Barsuk, 2018

Chicago natives Maps & Atlases first new release in six years shows them down a member and finding that their tightly constructed guitar and rhythm pieces turning up to something a little brighter and buoyant with synths taking more of a larger role in their sound. First single “Fall Apart” sounds just as slick and rubbery as singer/guitarist Dave Davison’s voice, while “Ringing Bell” has a mechanical riff with a punchy rhythm accompaniment that will sound great coming out of a car stereo. It’s an album where Maps & Atlases just *sounds* the biggest they’ve ever been. They’ve always had the chops. All that extra time produced something really great.

Maps & Atlases – Lightlessness is Nothing New cover artwork
Maps & Atlases – Lightlessness is Nothing New — Barsuk, 2018

Recently-posted album reviews

Social Distortion

Born to Kill
Epitaph (2026)

Rating: 🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🚬 / 10 (8 Tipped Martini Glasses and a Cigarette) Remember that movie Fantastic Voyage, where a miniaturized submarine gets inserted into a person's bloodstream on a mission to clear a blood clot in the brain? Well, consider yourself in luck: I’m infiltrating your brain with my own fantastic journey with Social Distortion, which goes all the way back … Read more

Big Circle

Big Circle
Independent (2026)

There are plenty of supergroups that exist largely because of the names on the marquee. Big Circle feels different. While Glenn Mercer (The Feelies), Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE), Dave Weckerman (The Feelies), and Dan Francia (Speed the Plough) all bring decades of musical history to the table, this debut EP isn't interested in nostalgia or individual spotlights. Instead, it succeeds … Read more

Nocturnal Prose

Western Interests
Total Agency (2026)

I’ve been reading Cory Doctorow’s latest book “The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI” a scathing review of the current state of artificial intelligence wherein he seeks to pop the AI bubble. In the book’s central metaphor Doctorow identifies the centaur as someone whose work is improved upon by technology vs the reverse centaurs who are competing with and/or … Read more