Tulpa

Another bright star in the banner year of indie pop for 2026, Tulpa sinks their teeth into the underbelly of the ‘90s on a forcible fuzz riot. So many of their peers have edged into the jangles and clean lines of the C86 lineage, but despite their UK address, Tulpa seem more at home with the bi-coastal barrage of US ‘90s classics from Veruca Salt, Letters To Cleo, and Throwing Muses. Closer to home, the band often thickens up the sounds of Talulah Gosh, fielding an imaginary history where the band picked up and moved to the Pacific Northwest. Centered around standout single, and reigning theme song “Let’s Make A Tulpa!,” the band is at their best when there’s a bit of bite in their hooks. When the fuzz gnaws at the edges, the songs break free of jangles with an acid washed itchiness.

The bite, set against the rumpled comfort of Josie Kirk’s vocals throws back to the babydoll and Docs-era with a perfect punch. Her songs embrace the hackles n’ honey approach that fueled a large portion of the ‘90s, and they do it without sounding overly beholden to their influences, slipping past the pock marks of pastiche. Kirk shares space at the mic with Daniel Hyndman, formerly of Leeds’ post-punk charmers Mush. He swerves the art-rock angles, though, bringing a touch of Pavement’s shaggy dog delivery to the forefront. The push-pull of the songwriters creates a tension that twists its nails throughout Monster of the Week It’s a riotous debut that, while a bit measured in its approach, comes through with a battered batch of memorable hooks. Like their sister slingers in the US, Slumberland, Skep Wax have had a banner year, gassing the indie pop engine for all us rock-starved sinners.

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