Numbskull

Across 15 years of work with Alex G, Tinashe, Mitski and many more, Ryan Hemsworth has built a sharp ear for talent and a production style that moves easily between genres. Numbskull is his first solo album since 2018’s Elsewhere, and his first for Topshelf Records.

On Numbskull, Hemsworth pulls together shoegaze, lo-fi and metal through his globe-trotting pop lens. Lead single One Step leans into blown-out distortion, with a fierce vocal from Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties. Ian Shelton of Militarie Gun connects him to MSPAINT’s Dylan Kern for the raw, raucous No One Else.

Never Learned, featuring Tegan and Sara, lands as the album’s midpoint jolt: huge guitars, blast beats and Hemsworth stepping into the role of rock bandleader for an urgent emo anthem about becoming who you really are.