tUnE-yArDs Better Dreaming
Released May 16, 2025 4AD
Established consensus 7 professional reviews Updated Oct 1, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
tUnE-yArDs' Better Dreaming pushes Merrill Garbus' signature polyrhythms and communal energy toward a clearer, politically charged pop that's as eager to make you dance as it is to provoke thought.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Heartbreak
4 critic mentions
“On opener "Heartbreak" she starts out in a comfortable mid-range, then raises the pitch and delivers the chorus with the intensity of Aretha Franklin” — The Line of Best Fit
Limelight
4 critic mentions
“Limelight, the funk-driven lead single, was inspired by Garbus and Brenner dancing to George Clinton” — Pitchfork
How Big Is The Rainbow
5 critic mentions
“anthemic songs that build a sense of joyful coalition, such as the handclap-fueled "How Big Is the Rainbow” — Pitchfork
Full critic consensus
tUnE-yArDs' Better Dreaming pushes Merrill Garbus' signature polyrhythms and communal energy toward a clearer, politically charged pop that's as eager to make you dance as it is to provoke thought. Across professional reviews, critics praise the record's mix of joyful indie-pop and protest-oriented urgency, and the critical consensus leans positive rather than unanimous.
Reviewers consistently point to vibrant standout tracks that double as the best songs on Better Dreaming. Critics repeatedly name “Heartbreak”, “Limelight” and “How Big Is The Rainbow” for their blend of buoyant groove, vocal intensity and activist bite, while “Better Dreaming” and “See You There” are highlighted for their dreamlike textures and scorched indignation. Across seven professional reviews the album earned a 77.14/100 consensus score, with critics noting how Garbus and Nate Brenner stitch polyrhythmic layers and danceable funk around themes of celebration versus darkness, parenthood, queer and pro-democracy advocacy, and joyful resistance.
Not every critic is fully convinced: some reviews flag moments of interruption, uncertainty of focus, or occasional overreach, yet most agree the record's earnestness and inventive arrangements make its political self-reflection land. In short, the consensus suggests Better Dreaming is a resilient, dance-forward chapter for tUnE-yArDs that rewards repeated listens and delivers several clear highlights worth seeking out.
For a deeper look at what critics say about individual songs and how the album fits in the band's catalog, read the full reviews below.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Heartbreak
Swarm
Never Look Back
Suspended
Limelight
Get Through
Better Dreaming
How Big Is The Rainbow
See You There
Perpetual Motion
Sanctuary
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
tUnE-yArDs refuse the easy route on Better Dreaming, choosing buoyant, danceable defiance instead of despair. The review highlights the best songs on Better Dreaming - “Heartbreak”, “Never Look Back” and “Sanctuary” - as moments where Merrill Garbus channels raw power, from soulful peaks to punkish catharsis. Garbus and Nate Brenner stitch polyrhythmic layers into songs that feel both meticulously crafted and instinctively joyful, which is precisely why listeners searching for the best tracks on Better Dreaming will find themselves returning to these standouts. The record is ultimately uplifting, energetic and life-affirming, a clearer, brighter chapter in the duo's adventurous catalogue.
Key Points
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"Sanctuary" is the best song for its tour-de-force vocal arc and cathartic finale.
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The album's core strengths are polyrhythmic constructions, joyful energy, and emotionally honest, politically minded songwriting.
Themes
mu
Critic's Take
In his characteristically playful yet pointed voice, Andy Crump argues that tUnE-yArDs' Better Dreaming is built to make you move even as it aims a political jab. He singles out “Never Look Back” for its breathy, punchy delivery and “See You There” for its scorched indignation, both tracks serving as the record's sharpest moments. At the same time he praises lighter reprieves like “Limelight” for pure, irresistible funk, so the best songs on Better Dreaming are those that fuse activist bite with dance-floor craft. The result, he suggests, is an album you will want to revisit until its point lands.
Key Points
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The best song, notably “See You There,” is best for its scorched, indignant outro that crystallizes the album's political fury.
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The album's core strength is combining urgent, protest-driven lyrics with irresistibly danceable, funk-forward production.
Themes
Critic's Take
On tUnE-yArDs’ Better Dreaming Merrill Garbus leans into communal joy and taut arrangements, making the best songs feel like invitations to move. The record’s highlights - “Heartbreak”, “Limelight” and “Get Through” - balance vulnerability and buoyant groove in the reviewer’s characteristic attentive, lyric-forward voice. Garbus’s vocals surge, from the rousing belting of “Heartbreak” to the family-friendly funk of “Limelight”, and the album often channels political intent into danceable, accessible songs. It is Tune-Yards made more outward-facing and hopeful, songs you can really dance to and sing along with.
Key Points
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“Heartbreak” is the best song because it combines rousing vocal force with a groove that balances joy and pain.
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The album’s core strengths are its fuller vocals, taut instrumentation, and ability to turn political introspection into danceable, communal songs.
Themes
Ho
Critic's Take
In his measured, observant way Peter McGoran frames tUnE-yArDs' Better Dreaming as a record wrestling with interruption and focus, and he singles out a few high points. He highlights “Swarm” as a politically-minded mantra that benefits from Garbus' most soulful vocals yet, and later praises “How Big Is The Rainbow” and “Perpetual Motion” as late-album rewards where introspection and groove pay off. The review keeps a cool, analytical tone - noting both the band’s laudable ambitions and occasional uncertainty about what music to offer the world.
Key Points
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The best song is “Swarm” because it pairs Garbus' soulful vocals with a politically-minded, chant-like mantra.
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The album’s core strengths are focused songwriting, sociopolitical urgency, and rewarding late-album introspection.
Themes
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Critic's Take
In his textured, slightly sardonic tone Reuben Cross finds the best songs on Better Dreaming to be the ones that marry protest with melody - namely “Heartbreak” and the title track “Better Dreaming”. Across the review Cross frames the record as vibrant yet introspective, singling out upbeat disco cuts like “Limelight” and advocacy-minded songs like “How Big Is The Rainbow” as standout moments that balance joy with serious intent.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are its blend of vibrant protest songwriting, experimental instrumentation, and moments that balance joyful grooves with earnest political urgency.