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With bonus promotional poster!

In 2025, distraction, depression, and heartbreak dominate. Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards describes making art as a focus battle, noting, Were in an age of interruption while discussing their sixth album, Better Dreaming. This album features some of their smoothest, funkiest, and most danceable pop music to date.

Garbus and partner Brenner found that songs easily emerged post-pandemic-isolation, driven by their desire for music. Their 3-year-old can be heard singing on Limelight, inspired by family dances to George Clinton.

Recorded as a duo, nearly all tracks center around Garbus drum loops, reminiscent of early albums like Bird-Brains. The opening track Heartbreak layers Garbus vocal harmonies over a dynamic beat, with lyrics like Watch me survive another heartbreak serving as a motivational anthem. How Big is the Rainbow exudes disco-house, queer-club energy.

Better Dreaming passionately champions self-love, collective action, and dance-floor liberation, exploring how much joy can be infused into their music amid darkness. This album embodies life-affirming art-pop in an apocalyptic context, making dreams a reality.