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Stephen Thompson Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
Washington, DC - May 03, 2016: Stephen Thompson CREDIT: Matt Roth
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Stephen Thompson

Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Scottish and Surly, The Twilight Sad Gets Apoplectic

A Glaswegian rock band that punctuates its guitar-fueled rock blasts with moody interludes and bits of esoteric instrumentation, The Twilight Sad makes epic songs that sound both punishing and pretty. Singer James Graham paints a vague but distinct portrait of alienation.

'That Summer, At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy' by The Twilight Sad

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Seeking Respite from Love That Feels Like War

Michael Penn seemed like a budding superstar in 1989, but he's never fully capitalized on his early momentum. His commercially under-appreciated 2005 album Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947, led by "Walter Reed," just received a deluxe reissue treatment.

'Walter Reed' by Michael Penn

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Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

A Rock Sleeper Makes Guitars the Star

Idlewild's Make Another World pairs dark lyrics with brightly blustering, timeless rock arrangements. "In Competition for the Worst Time" opens the disc on the exact right note, declaring its presence with welcome walls of grinding guitars that serve as an ideal tone-setter.

'In Competition for the Worst Time' by Idlewild

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

An Air of Portent That Borders on Menace

Propelled by clicks, pings and a ghostly backing vocal, "Belarus" is a characteristically oblique Low song: It's built on phrases that set the scene without making a meaning clear, and it draws its power from an arrangement that's both understated and overpowering.

'Belarus' by Low

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Finding Comfort in Feeling Trapped

Dolorean's You Can't Win wallows in the dark corners of singer Al James' psyche, but "Just Don't Leave Town" raises the discourse from miserablism to ambivalence. After a bit of downbeat self-analysis, James perks up as he hits a brightly shuffling, bittersweet chorus.

'Just Don't Leave Town' by Dolorean

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

Grim Ingredients Form a Winsome, Pretty Package

Some songs have all the hallmarks of bleak dirges, but an overall effect that seems strangely uplifting. Witness Winterpills' "Handkerchiefs," which gathers steam and snappiness as it progresses, morphing into an agreeably ambling pop number.

'Handkerchiefs' by Winterpills

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

When a Verse and a Chorus Are Just Right

The Faintest Ideas' charming "You're Beautiful" barely bothers to exceed a full minute: Its 67 seconds barely dent the listener's psyche before they're over. But they're 67 glorious seconds, complete with 45 seconds of shambling and scene-setting that give way to a simple chorus.

'You're Beautiful' by The Faintest Ideas

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Thursday

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Tender Sound of Empires Crumbling

Andrew Bird's new Armchair Apocrypha finds him continuing to prove himself as a performer of significant elegance and depth. "Scythian Empires" amply demonstrates his gifts for marrying obtuse-but-evocative imagery to uncommonly lovely arrangements.

'Scythian Empires' by Andrew Bird

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Self-Pity and Bad Behavior, with Strings

The Cost finds The Frames harboring more commercial ambitions than usual, but no one involved has forgotten singer Glen Hansard's odd ability to sound sweetly romantic, big-hearted, self-deprecating and emotionally stunted at the same time.

'Bad Bone' by The Frames

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

When Optimism and Realism Collide

A sweet-voiced pop singer whose accessibility borders on quaintness, Ron Sexsmith nevertheless remains entrenched in pop's margins. It may or may not attract a large audience, but "Never Give Up" radiates the warmth that has become his signature.

'Never Give Up' by Ron Sexsmith

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Ideal Soundtrack to an Early Spring

Though it runs only two and a half minutes, The Apples in Stereo's "Sun Is Out" functions as a charming, modestly shambling mini-epic, complete with discrete movements that culminate in a full-on power-pop blowout. The effect remains infectious and beguiling throughout.

'Sun Is Out' by The Apples in Stereo

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Monday

Extra Effort And An 'Ooh-Ooh' Chorus

The Shins' members take the time to stuff their songs with many discrete, memorable hooks. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Review

Song Of The Day

Extra Effort And An 'Ooh-Ooh' Chorus

The Shins' fine new Wincing the Night Away is built of the same solid stuff that made its predecessors famous: lush pop melodies, rich harmonies, vaguely obtuse lyrics, and sly, sideways hooks. It also features a gorgeous, brightly swooning ringer in "Phantom Limb."

'Phantom Limb' by The Shins

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Monday

Thursday