{"id":37488,"date":"2026-05-01T07:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T05:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/?p=37488"},"modified":"2026-05-01T10:23:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:23:32","slug":"album-review-ben-auld-loserdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/album-review-ben-auld-loserdom\/","title":{"rendered":"New album: Ben Auld || Loserdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ben Auld wrote Loserdom<\/em> with records like Grand Prix<\/em> by Teenage Fanclub, Pinkerton<\/em> by Weezer, and Tony Molina\u2019s Dissed and Dismissed<\/em> in mind. Any one of those would be a solid reference point. Throw in the first Fountains of Wayne album and you\u2019re getting close. That mix of records? That\u2019s pretty much what Auld delivers here, and it works.<\/p>\n

Front to back, Loserdom<\/em> is a rush of hooks and fuzzy guitars. Pressing play feels like hopping on your bike for a breezy boardwalk ride. It\u2019s a short one, clocking in well under 25 minutes, and honestly, I wouldn\u2019t have minded a few more of these crunchy power pop hits. Still, Auld knows how to make them stick, and these songs have that replay pull built in that will make you take the long way home<\/p>\n

Loserdom<\/em> is packed with moments to latch onto. Reckoned<\/em> starts subdued before opening up into shrieking guitars, while From Now On<\/em> leans hard into that Teenage Fanclub glow. But Auld goes zero filler, piling one hit after another.<\/p>\n

As for the title, Loserdom<\/em> nods to a stretch of personal upheaval for Auld, moving cities, quitting bands, relationships shifting. Funny thing is, the record itself sounds far more uplifting than that might suggest. There\u2019s a self-aware shrug in the title that makes it land better. An underdog record that\u2019s easy to root for and even easier to keep spinning.<\/p>\n

Out now on Safe Suburban Home and Repeating Cloud.<\/p>\n