Haunted Painting

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In the bio for her second album as Sad13, Sadie Dupuis—also known as the lead vocalist of Speedy Ortiz—cites Tracey Ullman's early-'80s music career as an influence. Huh? Ullman did wound-up retro covers, while Dupuis is a respected modern songwriter known for her incredibly smart lyrics. But there it is: the wit, the buoyancy and the hyper-arch take on pop music. Riding on a bed of weirdness—layers and layers of twisted burbling noise and bent melodies—Dupuis' vocals are so cute and sunshiny, it's almost grotesque. The chorus of "With Baby" sounds like a sitcom theme, for god's sake. Like Adam Schlesinger and Adam Duritz writing for the Josie and the Pussycats movie soundtrack (which Haunted Painting matches for gloss and cynicism), it's hard to tell sometimes if she's being serious. But Dupuis has described this album's style as maximalist, and said it's closer to her true self and tastes than anything she's done before. "Ghost (of a Good Time)" certainly lives up to that adjective, sounding like 30 things going on at once, from cartoon keys to oh-oh-oh-oh backing vocals, crashing drums and a gorgeous flute swell. So, too, does "Hysterical," with its shimmering gurgles, Soft Cell-esque synths and a J-pop-sweet chorus. "Carve a little piece of my heart, then chop the rest for parts," Dupuis chirps like she's singing about something much happier. Her lyrics are better than just about anyone else writing today—clever, poetic, funny as hell but with no pretension. "Just let me be one-hit-wondrous and fight no more forever ... portrait of a songster: young hussy crossed with cuddle core, 10,000% out for blood," she sings on "Oops," an excellent '90s alt-radio echo. "At her door, twenty cats casing the place. Collected works of Franzen on her bookcase. That's scary, but maybe I'm safe with baby," goes the laugh-out-loud first verse of "With Baby." Musically, there's a Mary Timony cleverness at play on the twisted chamber pop of "Ruby Wand" and guitar wooze of "Good Grief." And while Dupuis doesn't sound like Ullman's chipmunk squeak, she could be a voice double for Liz Phair; in fact, many of the best songs here sound like Phair's underrated mid-career records: the terrific "WTD?" (as in, what's the drama?) and swaggering "Market Hotel," especially. But Dupuis is a one-of-a-kind weirdo and—seriously—awesome for it. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz