Tulpa - Monster Of The Week (2025)

Allegedly, a Tulpa is a mythical being manifested into existence through the act of concentrated thought, like an imaginary friend brought to life, but (sometimes) scarier. Leeds, UK-based musicians Josie Kirk (vocals, bass), Daniel Hyndman (guitar), Myles Kirk (guitar), and Mike Ainsley (drums) derived the name for their new band from the phenomenon, and it is probably not without reason that their debut full-length is titled Monster Of The Week—it feels similarly summoned.

It’s a set of eleven songs that move between charming jangle pop and biting indie rock. You’ll hear clear vocals and warm melodies, but also guitar outbursts and screams. That tension between sweetness on the surface and danger in the depths surprises again and again, and explodes towards the end of the record in Raw Nerve, then closes with the amazing earworm Whose Side Are You On?—made for the repeat button, but that actually applies to the entire album.