Friday ACL Fest 2018 Picks

Alice Merton

12:00pm, Honda stage
Alice Merton bursts with a kinetic frenzy of sound and sentiment. The first single and title track to debut EP No Roots landed atop European charts in 2016, introducing the Canadian-born, Germany-based songwriter with jagged beats quaking behind a voice between Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor. New single "Why So Serious" likewise licks anthemic and cathartic. – Doug Freeman

Nicole Atkins

12:45pm, BMI stage
Dubbed heir to the legacy of Roy Orbison and Carole King, this Nashville-via-New Jersey song catcher proved her mettle on 2017's Goodnight Rhonda Lee. While her previous albums – 2007's Neptune City, 2011's Mondo Amore, and 2014's Slow Phaser – glean indie rock, her fourth LP embraces chest-heaving soul, country crooning, and vamped blues belts. – Alejandra Ramirez

Cuco

12:45pm, HomeAway stage
Out of Southern California, Omar Banos' wistful croons wander between Spanish and English with the grace of a runaway balloon. The Beach Boys' heart-stealing spirit lives on in dream-pop ballads "Lover Is a Day" and "Lo Que Siento." Splashes of analog-washed 808s and gliding synths conjure a trance like a longboard ride. Fangirls and indieheads alike will crowd this 20-year-old phenom's matinee set. – Jeremy Steinberger

Alvvays

2:45pm, Miller Lite stage
On their eponymous, Polyvinyl-backed debut, this Toronto dream-pop troupe offered the irresistible proposal of "Archie, Marry Me." Other synth-shined gems embedded into the acclaimed bow, elevating songwriter Molly Rankin's crystalline, Sixties-sweetened vocal lead. 2017 follow-up Antisocialites packed a sharp, witty punch from standout opener "In Undertow" to dusky final "Forget About Life," putting Alvvays in the running for Canada's Polaris Prize. – Rachel Rascoe

Sasha Sloan

2:45pm, BMI stage
Behind the scenes as writer and collaborator for artists including Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, and Odesza, Sasha Sloan stepped into the spotlight herself with this year's aptly titled debut EP Sad Girl. The clipped and understated pop of singles "Normal" and "Ready Yet" hinge on the Boston native's sharp and earnest songwriting, paradoxically introspective against quivering and confident beats. – Doug Freeman

Lily Allen

4:45pm, Miller Lite stage
If eponymous hit "Fuck You" was her introduction, then No Shame is her rebirth. The UK songbird has been through divorce, motherhood, and home invasions, but instead of exclamations, this time she looks within. "Three" looks through her daughter's forgotten eyes, "Family Man" finds her fighting for her husband, and "Come on Then" has her confronting her inner demons. An amplified introspection set to a piano-driven pop soundtrack. – Isabella Castro-Cota

The National

5:45pm, American Express stage
Leaving their day jobs behind, the National's third album and first collection for the famed Beggars Banquet label, 2005's Alligator, put them on most critical shortlists. 2007's Boxer and 2010's High Violet moved the Cincinnati-raised quintet near the top of rock music's shrinking and capriciously selected heap. The band won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for 2017's Sleep Well Beast. – Kahron Spearman

Khalid

5:45pm, Honda stage
No word on a follow-up to 2017's American Teen, but Khalid Robinson has collaborated enough in 2018 to sate fans, who are clamoring for more from the onetime El Pasoan. His voice, which has hooked up with Halsey, Ty Dolla $ign, and Martin Garrix in the last year, remains as infectious as his breezy pop-writing sensibility. (See review of Khalid's Weekend One performance.)  – Abby Johnston

Odesza

7:45pm, Honda stage
Odesza's chirpy, summertime vocal samples and sugar-rush electronic pop productions glide like fireflies from the consoles of Harrison Mills (Catacombkid) and Clayton Knight (BeachesBeaches). With the chill of Tycho and low BPM dance tempo of Bonobo, the Seattle duo performs from a stage of kaleidoscopic panoramas and live drums, all for visual effect. Three albums in, Odesza is peak festival. – Christina Garcia