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Jun 4, 2021Rostam's music didn't need much altering, but on Changephobia, it's more artful and heartfelt than ever.
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Jun 10, 2021His choruses don’t jump out at you so much as slink by, which is not always a bad thing, but maybe not what you want from pop music. ... Every song on Changephobia sounds like it has an inch-thick layer of dust on it, but if you take a finger and smear that off, there’s a beautiful ice-cream paint-job below.
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Jun 8, 2021Beautifully constructed, surprising and brimming with invention - looking back at all the incredible music Rostam’s been a part of over the years, it feels as if he’s saved a little for himself on ‘Changephobia’.
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Jun 1, 2021Changephobia might not necessarily win over skeptics, but it's the most coherent vision — lyrically and sonically — of Rostam as a solo artist so far.
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MojoJun 1, 2021Sustaining a dreamworld mood throughout, Changephobia is a quiet beauty. [Jul 2021, p.87]
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Jun 3, 2021The multi-talented musician’s downfall is sometimes that he wraps melodies in so many layers that it barely has a chance to breathe. ... Whatever the flaws in some elements of ‘Changephobia’, Rostam can be proud of creating an album that showcases his talent as a producer and is truly unique.
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Jun 2, 2021It’s 14 minutes shorter than its predecessor, and it’s light on the warbled, bursting electronics that defined Half-Light’s hazy tales of queer romance. It feels quiet and intimate even when it’s roaring.
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Jun 4, 2021Even on an album so concerned with fluidity and risk-taking, Rostam mostly stays in his comfort zone. At its best, Changephobia frames the experience of giving in to doubt and ambiguity as a kind of empowerment. Other times, it just feels like giving in.
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Jun 17, 2021The result is a mixed bag that features all sides of a fearless guy in construction yet practical in tone. The most interesting moments come when he decides to feature frequent collaborator Henry Solomon on saxophone.
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Rolling StoneJun 2, 2021Pleasantly ornate pop with classical flourishes. [Jun 2021, p.77]
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Jun 1, 2021While Batmanglij has reduced the vast variety of sounds and distortion of his debut, the warmth of his vision remains.
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Jun 4, 2021While Half-Light feels more apt to be listened to under twinkling stars, Changephobia is a fitting record for sunny summer days, leaning into a stripped-down sound that combines pop with jazz.
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Jun 7, 2021It shouldn’t all work together, but the record has a beautifully cohesive groove, the many disparate parts seamlessly fitting together in typical Rostam fashion.
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UncutJun 1, 2021Against hard-edged rhythms – Danielle Haim’s clattering drumming enlivens “These Kids We Knew” – and Solomon’s wordless reveries, Rostam sings in a creamy tenor tailormade for sharing the intimate feelings of his lyrics. [Jul 2021, p.33]