U

Hyperpop continues to maintain its now-long-running streak of outstanding music. underscores' U is latest in line, and it's arguably some of the strongest the genre has put out.

It's not her first rodeo by any means. U is April Harper Grey's third studio album under the underscores alias and it's perhaps her most solid work to date, etching out in flesh the giant U-shaped horseshoe that fronted the cover art of her previous record Wallsocket. In that, U is distinctly human, but nevertheless glossy as hyperpop often is - underscores treads a thin wire between a commercial glitz-and-glamour facade and an uncovering of the sentimental behind it, but she treads it as a practiced tightrope acrobat, leaping between the two in arrogant uncertainty. This record is unabashedly erratic, toying with its short 9-track runtime that, surprisingly, doesn't feel dense or heavy-handed despite its richness.

What marks U out from the rest of the modern hyperpop scene is its experimental sensibility. Even amongst contemporaries like 100 gecs and Jane Remover, who have contributed their fair share of innovation, this album makes itself known. It isn't through provocative novelty or shock factor, however, but rather simply well-integrated dynamics that are unafraid to reach outside the conventions of the genre. A vulnerable opener in "Tell Me (U Want It)" quickly plunges into a roaring techno drop that manipulates the typical hyperpop voice modulation, as Grey's optimistic vocal is distilled into into a snarl. "Music", as far as bass-oriented cuts go, is much the same, with its romping basslines and two-movement structure, and, later, "Innuendo (I Get U)" shuffles back to the heavier sound to indulge in its rhythmic qualities. But these are balanced by the aggressively laid-back cuts of "Lovefield" and "The Peace", both breaking away from the utopian promise of pop-Hollywood stardom to create space for introspection. U jumps between the two styles often, but it makes the jump with ebullience, disregarding tonal whiplash and instead relying on riding the tidal wave of the hyperpop aesthetic.

In many ways U is a challenge to the allure of stardom it seems to appeal to. At this point in the review it would be amiss not to consider Grey's lyricism itself; like much of hyperpop, it abstains from the complex, meandering poetry that envelops much of alternative pop forms, choosing to banking on confident and emotional delivery to achieve its ends, with playful verses and infectious vocal hooks. The glamorous dance-infused tracklist, though, acknowledges and often criticises the aesthetic it draws from. "Hollywood Forever" turns a personal lens on Western consumerist culture, picking apart our obsession with artificial luxury, whilst the uncannily catchy mask of "Do It" disguises a troubled dynamic of a relationship suspended in stardom. U mixes fire with ice - the movement of the four-on-the-floor beats and the brightness of the synthwork, with the contemplative vocals and the intimate motifs (both instrumental and lyrical) - and comes out with much more than plain old water.

This is the exact kind of swagger to be expected from a rising talent in such a scene. It may not be the flashiest of her records, but underscores proves her range and her consistency on this record. It may not be the longest of her records, but underscores doesn't need an hour to race through everything she wants to say, in every style she wants to add. It may not have the most impressive sound design or the most profound quasi-philosophical lyricism or the grandest cinematics, but U is still a very strong album and a blast to boot.

Listen on Spotify here.