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- Summary: The second full-length release from Los Angeles-based indie singer-songwriter Hana Vu was produced with Jackson Phillips.
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- Record Label: Ghostly International
- Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 8
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Mixed: 0 out of 8
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Negative: 0 out of 8
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May 2, 2024Vu didn’t invent tragi-pop (she wouldn’t deny her numerous progenitors, from Cat Power to Julien Baker); however, her airy melodicism and meme-friendly lyrics, coupled with her technically grounded yet mercurial voice, make for a signature presence.
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May 2, 2024Setting its heavy heart aside, the album still affects with an emotional roller coaster of musical material, recommended together for a good dance-cry.
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May 8, 2024Yes, Romanticism isn’t quite as nuanced and colourful as the work of Vu’s younger self – it’s more physical, more withered and broken. But in that, it’s also an honest and genuine reflection of growing up, as in: facing trauma, grief, frustration and self-hatred.
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May 2, 2024The yearning, sometimes ghostly loveliness of her voice and her swirling synth-string arrangements better parallel Bat For Lashes, Soccer Mommy, Cat Power or—most befittingly—the gloomily romantic, synth-pop of Japanese Breakfast. Trying to classify Hana Vu, or to judge her at all, though, feels almost like a violation of sorts.
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May 6, 2024Vu makes it easy to get swept up in the melodrama of each ascendant harmony and pounding guitar chord, seizing on the time when each swirl of emotion felt new and potent.
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May 2, 2024In the constant struggle between hiding emotion and indulging in its depths publicly, Vu satisfyingly finds a way to prioritise reflection and release.
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May 15, 2024Listeners following Hana Vu’s career will find that Romanticism consolidates Vu’s work so far while hinting at new directions her future work might take. At the same time, Romanticism feels like a fitting introduction to potential new fans, who will more than likely be enticed to explore Vu’s back pages.