This is one nice sounding album. Yes, I know that’s not normally my thing, but all the pieces fit together really well here. The production seems to fit the languid approach of the band perfectly. The album starts off strongly with “Go Ahead,” which sounds like Nada Surf doing a mash up with Andrew Bird. What does that mean? Kind of mid-tempo dream pop with up front vocals backed with cool ghostly, melodic back-up and multi-instrumentation that builds through and creates a cool world of sound that (and you know I love this) has really clean drum sound throughout. The lyrics sometimes rhyme, sometimes don’t, but in doing so feel kind of organic and different. There is a certain throwback feeling here that I can’t quite place, but is somewhere rooted in like a funny 80s, almost R&B thing (listen to “Come Visit Me”) mixed with some easy listening and 90s college rock. Destroyer’s latest, Kaputt, is too far a reference, as that thing just feels like it was actually produced in another era, as this one just feels like it’s thoroughly modern, but gives some serious tips of the hat to older stuff that I’m too dumb to find reference for. While its pacing and attitude isn’t normally my thing, this is definitely one of the cooler albums I’ve heard in 2011, and is certainly something I can imagine people asking about if I (appropriately) put it on at a mellow party.
4
