Underscores hailed by critics

The Michigan Daily gave underscores’ new album *U* a rave this week, calling it “the sound of quintessential electropop bliss.” (michigandaily.com) The review ran on April 21, 2026, about a month after *U* arrived on March 20, 2026. The album is the third full-length release by April Harper Grey, the artist who records as underscores. (michigandaily.com) (bandcamp.com) *U* is a compact release: 9 songs and about 34 minutes long. Its tracklist includes “Tell Me (U Want It),” “Music,” “Hollywood Forever,” “Do It,” and “Wish U Well.” (underscores.plus) (music.apple.com) The album marks a stylistic turn from *Wallsocket*, underscores’ 2023 concept album with a more rural and narrative frame. In its review, The Michigan Daily said *U* strips that back and leans into sleek, hook-heavy pop. (wikipedia.org) (michigandaily.com) That shift follows a busy stretch of outside work for Grey. The Michigan Daily noted credits with Oklou, Danny Brown and Ninajirachi between albums, placing *U* after a period of collaborations beyond her own catalog. (michigandaily.com) Student press coverage does not move charts on its own, but it can document where a record is landing first. The Michigan Daily is an independent University of Michigan newspaper founded in 1890, and its arts section regularly reviews national releases alongside campus coverage. (michigandaily.com 1) (michigandaily.com 2) The streaming platforms already show a larger audience than underscores had in her earliest release cycle. Spotify listed the artist at about 1.4 million monthly listeners in April 2026, while Apple Music had *U* placed across playlists including “All Indie,” “Electronic Pop” and “New Fire.” (open.spotify.com) (music.apple.com) For now, the clearest signal is that a campus paper treated *U* as a major pop record rather than a niche internet release. That kind of reception gives underscores one more marker that the post-*Wallsocket* audience is still expanding. (michigandaily.com)