If you've spent any time sucked into the world of TikTok, you undoubtedly landed yourself in one of the social platform's distinctive hyper-niches. From clips of funky cooking tutorials to day-in-the-life montages and DIY yard projects (or our favorite, AudiophileTikTok!), what ties these disparate universes together are narratives of authentic people with hearts on full display—free-flowing, seemingly disjointed, but somehow woven together in a scrolling continuum of vivacity and expression. On their debut record, the NYC collective MICHELLE builds a strikingly parallel meditation, one overflowing with delight and built with youthful vibrancy. AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS waltzes through heartbreak, innocent love, self-care, and unburdened friendship in triumphant, confidant swagger. With lusciously stacked vocal timbre, popping percussion, and warm fuzzy synthesizers, the record oozes joy with a collection of slow-jam R&B and indie-pop bangers.
MICHELLE's sonic landscape is lush, hook-filled, and crisp. The sextet builds a dexterous instrumental foundation led by band members Charlie Kilgore and Julian Kaufman’s production. Atop, the swirling energies of Sofia D’Angelo, Layla Ku, Emma Lee, and Jamee Lockard, trade bars, melodies, and the occasional ad lib. On "SYNCOPATE," a heart-thumping groove rocks underneath a glorious declaration of affection for the one you love. "LOOKING GLASS" and "SPACED OUT, PHASED OUT" are awash with immense sonic and lyrical sentiments of dissociation in life's most challenging stretches. "MY FRIENDS," a celebration of those closest to us, brings the record to a close with expressive trumpet squawks and a tasty extended piano coda. A little rough around the edges and a little blurry in its boundaries, but soul-filling if you lean in far enough, AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS delivers a satisfying breath of fresh air and a gentle nudge that anything is possible with a posse of friends. Never sell pop music short. In addition to what it can tell us about ourselves, it's a spirited reminder of our own bond to the greater world that we're all spinning on. © William Card/Qobuz