Marissa Nadler New Radiations
Marissa Nadler's New Radiations unfolds as a study in gothic folk and dreamlike melancholy, with opening moments that make a compelling case for the record's emotional reach. Far Out Magazine's review highlights how songs such as “Smoke Screen Selene” and “Hatchet Man” showcase Nadler's nocturnal vocal presence and deft string arrangements, establishing the album's haunted, old-world Americana textures. Those standout tracks emerge as the best songs on New Radiations, praised for marrying eerie lyricism with bold instrumental color.
Across this professional review, critics consistently note the album's strengths in intimacy and atmosphere, with “Weightless Above The Water” and “It Hits Harder” singled out for immersive, emotionally vivid moments that lean into magical realism. At the same time the reviewer's measured tone raises questions about pacing and variety - compositional uniformity leaves the title cut and some mid-album passages feeling less adventurous. The record earned a 70/100 consensus score from one professional review, signaling a mixed but respectful critical reception.
For readers wondering whether New Radiations is worth listening to, the consensus suggests a rewarding experience when Nadler foregrounds striking arrangements and spectral imagery, even if the collection sometimes favors mood over momentum. Below, the full review unpackages where the album shines and where it settles into gentler repetition.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Smoke Screen Selene
1 mention
"Emerges in a thick plume of illusory fog. Swirls with electricity"— Far Out Magazine
Hatchet Man
1 mention
"That backing muffled keyboard is exquisite. Packed with gothic Americana energy."— Far Out Magazine
It Hits Harder
1 mention
"Wasting no time to set the tone of the record. Nadler’s siren tones clash"— Far Out Magazine
Emerges in a thick plume of illusory fog. Swirls with electricity
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
It Hits Harder
Bad Dreams Summertime
You Called Her Camellia
Smoke Screen Selene
New Radiations
If It's An Illusion
Hatchet Man
Light Years
Weightless Above The Water
To Be The Moon King
Sad Satellite
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Fa
Critic's Take
Marissa Nadler’s New Radiations is at its most bewitching on tracks like “Smoke Screen Selene” and “Hatchet Man”, where her nocturnal vocals and deft strings conjure an old-world, gothic folk ambience. The record repeatedly traffics in evocative, spectral imagery and intimate sonic detail, which makes songs such as “Weightless Above The Water” and “It Hits Harder” feel immersive and emotionally vivid. That said, the reviewer’s tone is measured - the album can lapse into compositional uniformity, leaving some cuts, notably the title track “New Radiations”, sounding less adventurous. Overall, the best songs on New Radiations are those that marry Nadler’s eerie lyricism with bold instrumental textures, exemplified most strikingly by “Smoke Screen Selene” and “Hatchet Man”.
Key Points
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The best song, notably "Smoke Screen Selene", succeeds by combining foggy atmosphere with electrified strings and precise arrangements.
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The album’s core strengths are its intimate vocals, gothic folk atmosphere, and evocative old-world imagery, though it sometimes lapses into compositional uniformity.
Themes
