Big Science: Difficulty

Rarely does a debut album feel like home, but on Difficulty, Big Science’s first full-length, the Chicago band communicates a certain Midwestern displacement, a gentle-jangled despair coming from coming of age in a rudderless era. These yearnings and confidences are juxtaposed with, and elevated by, energetic instrumentation, resulting in a burst of sing-along-your-sorrows indie pop both familiar and novel. The album begins furtively with “All The Heat Has Escaped,” as breathy vocals float over a pensive organ and gently plucked guitar strings, a kind of opening exhalation to make room for the rest of the album. The band grows direct...  read more

10 Illinois Bands You Should Listen to Now

Illinois has been home to an incredibly vibrant music scene long before Sufjan Stevens announced his states project and penned his classic album paying tribute to the Land of Lincoln.  read more