REVIEW: Widowspeak - Roses
More petals than thorns
41:53 // June 5, 2026 // Captured Tracks
Even if you’ve been a Widowspeak fan for years, writing about the New York City act can be a bit difficult without flattening their sound into something which sounds rather bland. The duo’s style merges a bunch of musical traditions (dream pop, soft rock, folk, Americana, etc.) into a smooth and palatable, dare I say “easy-listening” brew, and the results are relentlessly pleasant on the ears, while being pretty simple and reliably unambitious. All that’s to say it’s clear why someone might listen to Widowspeak on occasion, but why have they become a group whose vibes I seek out, over and over again?
The band’s strengths are a bit more challenging to expound upon: mostly, their calling card is a mastery of those vibes, a notoriously difficult thing to pin down. Widowspeak undoubtedly craft lovely atmospheres, and don’t let any rash experimentation mess with that listening experience (their last album was initially supposed to be a concept album but the concept got abandoned halfway through in favour of more vibes, I guess). On top of this, it’s admirable how the collective have lovingly honed their signature sound over the years - compare early efforts like Widowspeak and Almanac to later LPs like Plum and The Jacket, and it’s basically the same style being pursued (albeit I detect a slight prominence of Americana in the initial stages of the discography versus later shifts towards dream pop dominance), but with every single album up to this point, my ears detect a slight but noticeable improvement in Widowspeak’s execution.
Indeed, prior to the recent release of seventh full-length Roses; my personal Widowspeak album ranking would approximately place the first six LPs from the band in ascending order (even if one of the two writers of this piece would deem 2020’s Plum their best). None of them are heads and shoulders above each other, but this is a rare act which always seems to improve. So that puts Roses in an odd spot - my expectations were quite high, but I’m also aware this is a workmanlike group unlikely to truly blow me away with an overwhelming triumph which completely throws away their default formula.
True enough, Roses is (gasp!) a Widowspeak album. It’s an album of pristine songs wafting on warm summer breezes, its lazy guitars backing the next generation-Hope Sandoval vocals of Molly Hamilton, at once lethargic and alluring. The lyrics aren’t attention-grabbing but certainly are open-hearted and imbued with feeling, largely reminiscing on the little things that make an ordinary life special. Not every song is instantly memorable in its own right, but all fulfill their place in ensuring the album maintains its identity - the atmosphere, as expected at this point, is the essential component here.
However, the highlights here are delightfully high. Opening cuts “The Hook” and “No Driver” are two marvelously catchy songs, with the latter throwing in a surprisingly groovy and delightfully messy guitar solo. Elsewhere, lead single “If You Change” provides an absolutely stunning hook by way of its chorus. Widowspeak are arguably at their best when their lyrics and melodies perfectly complement one another, and this song is a prime example: “if you change / don’t change too much”. It’s simple, it’s cute, it vibes. As Roses winds down, closing track “Hourglass” offers one last small surprise. The song embraces a surprisingly jazzy atmosphere, while retaining all the soothing elements that define this record and band.
Roses hasn’t been out a week yet, but I can already avow that it’s a phenomenal listen for a summer evening. Immensely relaxing yet providing emotional heft, it’s a beautiful set of songs which undoubtedly ranks among this very consistent band’s finest.
8.0/10