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Apr 3, 2026With New German Cinema, Weiss expresses her angst and existential dread in terms more vivid than she did even with the brooding pop of Fear of Men, crafting a debut that bears all the heavy, understated power of the Fassbinder films and personal experiences that inspired it.
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Apr 3, 2026While the sonic compositions across ‘Pain Will Polish Me’ all become familiar, as though riding a common wave, it is Weiss’ storytelling that shines through.
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Apr 3, 2026Her exploration of the self in Pain Will Polish Me sometimes feels lacking, which makes the project seem somewhat drab. But it’s the small touches she adds, such as the instrumentals named after her child, Hera, that are unexpectedly poignant.
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Apr 3, 2026On Pain Will Polish Me, New German Cinema showcases that pop, when rendered with elegance and depth, can be as weighty as a tome, a language without words, a prelingual entity, interior and frigid. In search of the authentic self, pain is inevitable—though it can be a form of succor.