Automatic

Automatic make deviant pop music that cuts through the brainrot. Balancing irreverence with sharp commentary, the L.A. band approached their third album with a dark sense of humor and a renewed sense of momentum. Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals) and Halle Saxon (bass, vocals) believe messages of change land best with a backbeat and a cheeky groove – and on their new album Is It Now?, they ask us to confront the world’s oppressive structures with fresh urgency. Unsparing in their critique – of automated warfare (‘mq9’), mindless consumerism (‘Is It Now?’), and the political influence of oil (‘The Prize’) – Is It Now? also offers ways forward: dancing, resisting, coming together, falling in love. Like its title, the album doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but it might inspire better questions – or at least get you dancing yourself awake while searching.