The Pierces

The Pierces are one of those acts that slipped through the cracks—sisters making synth-pop that hit different when you were stuck on some long drive or trying to decode what you felt about someone.

What they made was intricate and patient, never trying too hard. I missed their show in Berlin because of work, which is how it usually goes, but it reminded me that those records still sit with me in a way a lot of contemporary pop doesn’t.

They understood something about restraint and texture that the industry tends to smooth over. Missing the live version stings a little, but the recordings are enough.