The allure of Pile is one of the universe’s great mysteries. “It’s a four-duded rock band,” frontman Rick Maguire told the AV Club in 2017. “That is the most boring genre.” He’s right! That is the most boring genre. But there’s something special about the Boston group, which has attracted a cult following over the past decade (even inspiring some fans to get lip tattoos). Pile’s new album Green and Gray contains many shades of longing and despair: from the smoldering metamorphosis of opening track “Firewood,” to the anxious, foot-stomping momentum of “Bruxist Grin,” to the roiling guitar riff on “The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller,” the best song on the record. Though it’s directed at Trump’s senior advisor, “Soft Hands” isn’t merely a roast; Maguire sounds like he’s trying to make sense of hatred itself, presented in the form of a “translucent lizard.” Believe the hype: Pile is (still) incredible.

by Ciara Dolan