[3.5/5]
Like a musical Jeffrey Lebowski, Austin, Texas, two-piece Ghostland Observatory are the band for their time and place-that is, a post-indie-rock music scene patiently waiting for the tipping point when the rock-and-laptop aesthetic finally, organically intertwine. Ghostland Observatory are just as likely to represent with a cranking guitar riff as they are an energy-laced laptop beat, and they excel when the two are intermeshed. The shuffly "Free Heart Lover" is as futuristic-feeling as it is a throwback, thanks to the swaggery wail of singer Aaron Behrens. Unfortunately, the album's got its share of throwaways ("HFM" is the kind of punk they can't quite sell, and "Holy Ghost White Noise" could really benefit from some vocals), but it's definitely an artifact of a band reaching their peak. If we were ranking on a one-10 scale, I'd mark it seven, dude. (TRASHY MOPED) Jeff Miller
 Official Website: http://www.trashymoped.com
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