Tune-Yards: Whokill

Label: 4AD

"My country 'tis of thee / Sweet land of liberty" sings Merrill Garbus, a.k.a. Tune-Yards, leaning into the last word to show just how different her idea is than that of our founders. On her second album, Garbus adds a bassist and two saxists to her previously solo project, and thus sets up Whokill as the first breakout indie record of the year, extending all the clattering brilliance that made last year's (reissued, once self-released) debut, Bird-Brains, a bubbling-up hit. Dig the hard-edged stutter-shuffle beat on "Es-So," as brightly colored darts of horns and whatnot draw cross-hatch designs all around. She follows that with "Gangsta," and if she's a few years (or a decade) late to start throwing around that word, wait till you hear this monster beat. Left-field dance-hit potential? Cause there's some incredible center-field dance-hit business going on on "Bizness," the video for which weaponizes Feistian visual cues to make one of the most hands-down joyful clips we've seen in ages.