Ryli

It’s a hell of a week for indie pop and Bay Area bustlers Ryli are a big part of that. The band whetted appetites early on with the single “I Think I Need You Around,” and what was begun as a one-off turned into a full album of atmospheric janglers. Built around the budding chemistry of songwriters Yea-Ming Chen (Yea-Ming and The Rumours) and guitarist Rob Good (The Goods), the band also ropes in other members from The Rumors and Healing Potpourri. With soft-focus indie footholds in mind, ranging from Camera Obscura to The Smiths, the band slips hooks between bilious folds of guitar and keys. The band subverts the straight jangle pop forms, filling the speakers with melancholy fog like contemporaries Mt. Misery or The Reds, Pinks and Purples.

The songs are hooked on Chen’s vocals pushing towards something more mercurial than her work with The Rumours. Echoing from behind a gauzy veil, they give Ryli a sense of mystery, a touch of heartache that should add classics from Felt and aughts pop outliers The Concretes to the touchstones here. The band’s penchant for haze and their pillow-soft sundries make this a particularly potent album. It’s one that’s easy to embrace, but their comforting colors hide darker hues just below the surface. The album’s soft exterior hides a hurt in Chen’s lyrics, unspooling narratives that need the comfort of the production as much has the listener. This one’s got all the hallmarks of 2025’s sleeper hit. Don’t let it drift away without you.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.