Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak had never collaborated in person before releasing their 2023 debut album, but their artistic chemistry and interlocking visions of modern folk music made their project @ feel lived-in. Now based in Philadelphia, Rose and Filipczak have expanded their palette and honed their songwriting in ways that make Autosmile, their second full-length, feel like a resounding statement even though it finds much of its strength in the spaces between its sounds. Rose’s sweet-and-sour lilt and Filipczak’s rough whisper guide tracks like “I Know You Are (But What Am I Thinking)”, where they harmonise with a bright acoustic arpeggio while a violin wails behind them, and “Love in the Dark”, a collagist take on ’90s college-radio staples accessorized by flute, the occasional tambourine shake and full-on guitar heroics. @’s unsearchable name is the first hint that the duo are defying conventions, but the explorations that make up Autosmile are a masterclass in trusting instincts.