{"id":49805,"date":"2025-10-06T21:04:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=49805"},"modified":"2025-10-06T21:04:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:04:27","slug":"review-tops-the-sinclair-10-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2025\/10\/06\/review-tops-the-sinclair-10-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: TOPS @ The Sinclair 10\/2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Aabid Youssef<\/span><\/p>\n

Review by Anna Gohman
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Emerging from Montreal’s vibrant DIY scene in the early 2010s, the Canadian indie
\npop-inspired band, TOPS, has since amassed a devoted following obsessed with their unique
\nstyle and timeless music. Their songs, reminiscent of recent decades and bordering on the
\ndisco realm, fall into a genre of their own. And their newest album, \u201cBury the Key,\u201d is no
\nexception. Exploring concepts of happiness, hedonism, and self-destruction, their first
\nfull-length album since 2020 introduces a more sinister undertone to their generally
\nsoft-focus sophisti-pop, and listeners can not seem to get enough.<\/p>\n

As the second location of their East Coast tour, TOPS played at The Sinclair, an intimate
\nvenue popular for featuring up-and-coming artists in an intimate setting. The opener,
\nStarcleaner Reunion, a dream pop band based in New York, joined TOPS on the second leg of
\ntheir tour with a mix of songs from their recent album \u201cCafe Line\u201d as well as older favorites.
\nAs people filed in, drinks passed around, and the venue quickly filled, Starcleaner Reunion
\nset a comfortable, lively mood for the evening with songs like \u201cSnowfeel\u201d and \u201cThe Hand That
\nI Put Down.\u201d In the short time they played, the band curated a one-of-a-kind atmosphere,
\nleaving the crowd with an excited air of anticipation as they waited for TOPS to take the
\nstage.<\/p>\n

To kick off their set, TOPS played \u201cWheels at Night\u201d from their new album, \u201cBury the Key,\u201d
\ncurrently being promoted on tour. As a relatable song with themes of heartbreak and loss
\nover an upbeat, catchy tune, the crowd was instantly hooked. The band followed this song
\nwith \u201cDrowning in Paradise,\u201d from their 2020 album \u201cI Feel Alive,\u201d cleverly displaying their
\nmusical evolution over the five-year gap since their last album release. This framed the rest of
\nthe night\u2014interspersing new songs with old ones, seamlessly blending genres and sounds,
\nkeeping the audience engaged until the very end.<\/p>\n

As the sound, tempo, and themes of music shifted throughout the night, the one constant
\nwas the lead singer, Jane Penny\u2019s smooth, siren-esque voice, which tied the set together. A
\nlarge part of the band’s success and sound is due to Penny\u2019s unique voice, which gives their
\nmusic a special edge. TOP\u2019s honest, deeply personal lyrics transform through her vocals,
\nshaping the songs into raw and genuine self-expression as they explore complex emotions
\nand relationship dynamics. Delving into the messy reality of romance\u2014both in and out of the
\nband\u2014and personal growth, the breezy, sophisticated pop sound of TOPS sheds a new light
\non relatable themes.<\/p>\n

Introduced over the melodic riffs of \u201cThe Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes,\u201d
\naccompanying Penny on stage were guitarist David Carriere, keyboardist Marta Cikojevic,
\nand drummer Riley Fleck. Together, the band infused life into their songs, and it was clear
\nthat each member truly enjoyed performing. Throughout the concert, they encouraged each
\nother, playfully joking, smiling, and dancing around the stage. Their energy was infectious, with the crowd offstage mimicking the genuine enjoyment on stage. Even when the music
\nslowed during \u201cBallads & Sad Movies,\u201d the audience could hardly contain themselves,
\ndancing and swaying to the captivating beat.<\/p>\n

As the night came to a close, the band continued to keep the audience on their toes,
\nswitching the lead singer and keyboardist roles for a song during the encore. Cikojevic
\ntook the place of Penny, thrilling the crowd with the song \u201cImmaterial Girl.\u201d When
\nCikojevic is not touring with TOPS, she works as a solo artist and has released a self-titled
\nalbum, \u201cMarci.\u201d Reflecting a similar genre to the soft-rock group TOPS, Marci\u2019s solo
\nsongs are a blend of indie, disco-inflected, and classic 80s-inspired pop. During her brief
\nconcert takeover, Marci owned the stage\u2014strutting, dancing, and having a good time\u2014thrilling the ecstatic crowd.<\/p>\n

In their final song of the evening, Penny reclaimed the mic to sing one of TOPS’ most
\npopular songs, \u201cAnything.\u201d This song, a personal favorite of mine, was one of the first singles
\nthe band ever released in 2015. The lyrics, about the anguish of losing confidence, are paired with their signature melancholic beat and sludgy bassline, encapsulating the
\nspirit of the band and underscoring what sets their music apart. As one of their most
\npopular songs, this nod to their roots was the perfect way to end the night, and a
\nprivilege to have the opportunity to experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Aabid Youssef Review by Anna Gohman Emerging from Montreal’s vibrant DIY scene in the early 2010s, the Canadian indie pop-inspired band, TOPS, has since amassed a devoted following obsessed with their unique style and timeless music. Their songs, reminiscent of recent decades and bordering on the disco realm, fall into a genre of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25371,"featured_media":49806,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525,1523,15],"tags":[126,2543],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49805"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49805"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49807,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49805\/revisions\/49807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}