Meg Remy’s Scratch It was released in June 2025, via 4AD, her ninth full-length release as U.S. Girls, has been embraced by critics as a radiant and genre-defying breakthrough—one that channels grief, memory, and joy into a lush, analog swirl of sound. Recorded live to tape in just ten days in Nashville, the album pivots from the electro-pop sheen of Bless This Mess toward something looser, rawer, and more emotionally grounded.
“This is U.S. Girls’ most immediate and accessible album yet,” writes Pitchfork, who awarded the album an 8.0. “It’s cathartic and catchy, with a warmth that feels new for Remy.” They highlight the spoken-word ghost-letter ‘Dear Patti’ as “a whispered tribute to lost inspiration,” and describe the 12-minute centerpiece ‘Bookends’ as “devastating and strangely danceable”—a stunning distillation of the album’s themes.
Where earlier records played with irony and pastiche, Scratch It leans into emotional directness. “It showcases an artist gleefully scaling dizzying, wondrous peaks,” declares Clash Music in their glowing 9/10 review. “Each track is exquisitely crafted and endlessly replayable.” Songs like ‘No Fruit’ and ‘The Clearing’ are praised for transforming personal narratives into something universal: “Remy marries satire with sincerity, finding a sweet spot between confrontation and compassion.”
Much of the album’s magic lies in its live instrumentation—an element repeatedly praised across reviews. Beats Per Minute calls Scratch It “a commanding statement from a masterful songwriter,” full of “quiet fury and funky defiance.” They single out ‘Firefly’ as a “gospel-disco stunner” and call ‘Pay Streak’ a “bone-deep groove with heartache braided into the rhythm.” There’s a palpable sense that every note here is lived-in, the sound of an artist feeling things in real time.
This immediacy is intentional. As Under the Radar explains: “The result is a record that’s both homespun and hypnotic, full of rough edges and real beauty.” They emphasize how Remy “lets the tape hiss, flubs, and fuzz live on the surface,” embracing imperfection and creating space for spontaneity. It’s a portrait of artistic trust—both in the moment and in the people around her. “She surrounds herself with impeccable collaborators,” they add, “but the vision is unmistakably hers.”
Silent Radio echoes the praise for this analog aesthetic, writing: “Remy’s return to live instrumentation captures a radiant, unpolished magic… Scratch It lives in the tension between clarity and chaos.” There’s a tactile warmth to these recordings, where groove-forward instrumentation meets emotional storytelling in tracks that feel open-ended and exploratory.
New Noise Magazine frames the album as both personal and expansive: “It’s an album full of joy and deep introspection,” they write, “bridging gospel, country, and avant-pop into something heartfelt and direct.” Here, Remy sings of motherhood, longing, death, and release, drawing on roots music without ever sounding bound to the past.
Even fan forums have responded enthusiastically. On Reddit’s r/indieheads, users have called it “a major return to form,” adding: “No skips and a stellar all-hands-on-deck band approach.” Another praises the album’s finale: “No Fruit ends the album with biting edge… Bookends is her masterpiece.”
More Praise for U.S. Girls – Scratch It
“On the new U.S. Girls album Scratch It, Meg Remy dials down the politics to pick through inner turmoil and history against a backdrop of dusty, soulful numbers.” – The Line Of Best Fit
“Shapeshifting country soul.” – MOJO ****
“Co-produced with her partner Maximilian Turnbull, it’s unburdened and free-flowing, suggesting there’s so many ways to make a U.S. Girls record; and so many ways, of course, to live and grow yourself without losing it.” – Our Culture ****
“The album sets up a journey through different aspects of what has made up the roots of contemporary music without feeling like just an homage to something in the distant past […] Every single note seems to be perfectly conceived and in its proper place.” – Northern Transmissions
“The record is as textured as it is smooth. It’s as serious as it is playful. It’s as relaxed as it is energized. And through its harmonious balance, it’s the strongest she’s ever sounded, and the most honest she’s ever been. All accomplished with the usual U.S. Girls signatures – merging genres, poignant lyrics, and rapturous vocals.” – Impose Magazine
“Nearly 20 years into her career, Scratch It continues reaching into her endless bag of tricks, masterfully weaving together gospel, disco, and garage rock.” – The Alternative
U.S. GIRLS – SCRATCH IT
Out Now
All DSPs | Standard Vinyl | CD | Screen-Printed Test Pressings [Bandcamp Exclusive]
- Like James Said
- Dear Patti
- Firefly on the 4th of July
- The Clearing
- Walking Song
- Bookends
- Emptying the Jimador
- Pay Streak
- No Fruit
U.S. GIRLS ONLINE
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