What the hell has happened in the mind or in the life of So Stressed? The discrepancy between this really serene Pale Lemon and the previous violent recordings from the band from Sacramento like Attracted To Open Mouths (2012), The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art (2015) and Please Let Me Know (2017) is such that it’s hard to understand where it came from… Forgotten then are the hardcore guitars and the crypto-Neanderthal rhythms, and let’s make way for an ethereal and dreamy pop! There’s even some flute on Miniature Flag! We’re even wondering if it’s the same band… This 2018 batch therefore shows the melodic potential of the trio composed of singer Morgan Fox, drummer Kenneth Draper and guitarist Andy Garcia. There’s space, sometimes even silences and some void, in this Pale Lemon which is sometimes reminiscent of the golden era of shoegaze and proves itself to be a nice and unassuming indie rock treat. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz