Sucker (Ian Sweet album)

Sucker is the fourth studio album by American indie rock musician Ian Sweet, released on November 3, 2023, through Polyvinyl Record Co. It was produced by Sweet, Alex Craig, and Isaac Eiger. It received positive reviews from critics.

Background and recording
Sweet recorded the album at the Outlier Inn, an artists' residency in the Catskill Mountains of New York with co-producers Alex Craig and Isaac Eiger. The three had full access to the studio, which allowed them "space for experimentation and spontaneity".

Critical reception
Sucker received a score 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Marissa Lorusso of Pitchfork wrote that Medford "dials down the pressure, turning her attention to more mundane crises" and "retaining her commitment to emotional transparency, she leans into high-adrenaline hooks and poignant self-reflection with confidence and grit". Ethan Beck of Paste felt that the album "succeeds with temperamental synths, guitars that add a dreamy gloss and percussion that splits the difference between bedroom-pop programming and indie folk mutedness". Reviewing the album for Under the Radar, Michael James Hall called it "an adventurous pop album" as well as "a post-COVID, post-breakup record blooming with hope and self-realization". Glide Magazine' Shawn Donohue described it as "the most pop-centric album of Ian Sweet's career" that was not unexpected as "with each passing record Medford has shifted towards more mainstream sounds. Fully embracing the break-up/hook-up dance-ready pattern (with slight distortion around the edges) Medford's efforts are ready to be sung out over large speaker stacks instead of smaller indie rock clubs".

Personnel

 * Jilian Medford – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, production
 * Alex Craig – guitar, synthesizer, production
 * Isaac Eiger – guitar, synthesizer, production (tracks 4, 10); piano (10)