Seafood
Seafood Paper Crown King [4/5] It’s kind of strange that Seafood open their album with “I Will Talk” and leadoff single “Signal Sparks,” two waltz-time songs that start all moody and quiet before kicking into overdrive in their explosive choruses. But hey, it works. And so does damn near everything the band try on their...
The Nein
The Nein Luxury [3/5] If the arena-rock swagger of Criteria’s When We Break met the Good Life’s electronica-tinged Black Out, you’d probably end up with something pretty close to Luxury, the second full-length from Durham, North Carolina’s the Nein. (Which makes sense, considering two of the Nein’s members spent their college days alongside Criteria’s Stephen...
Daphne Loves Derby
Daphne Loves Derby Good Night, Witness Light [3.5/5] On Daphne Loves Derby’s third album, Good Night Witness Light, they illustrate immense growth. It appears the band have found their niche, bringing melodic indie rock, filled to the brim with hooks and beefy harmonies, to the table. Additionally, DLD insert splashes of intricate guitar plucks, adding...
Clair De Lune
Clair De Lune Assisted Living [3.5/5] There’s a palpable sense of frustration running through Clair De Lune’s Assisted Living-whether it’s with pill-popping wasters (“She drowns in suicidal sanctuary/Think she’ll bleed it out?”), social alienation (“Guide me by manipulation/Black heart charades”) or excessive consumerism (“Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut/The sores in your...
Between The Trees
Between The Trees The Story And The Song [4/5] When a band lead off their debut album’s liner notes by thanking Jesus, you can either giggle or appreciate the honesty; and with The Story And The Song, two-year-old Orlando, Florida, quintet Between The Trees craft a rich, uplifting and melodious set of missionary emo-pop that’s...
Aqualung
Aqualung Memory Man [3/5] Let’s be frank: The brand of sensitive-man piano-pop Matt Hales creates under the name Aqualung makes Coldplay sound like Slayer. And this trademark sound hasn’t really changed on Memory Man, Aqualung’s first studio album given a proper U.S. release. But whereas past releases felt like one giant NyQuil overdose, Man benefits...
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire Neon Bible [4/5] How do you follow up what has quickly become one of indie rock’s landmark albums? Well, if you’re Montreal pop consortium Arcade Fire, you just do what you did before, only this time, you throw in a little pipe organ. Neon Bible, the band’s sophomore disc, is an effortlessly creative...
Air
Air Pocket Symphony [2.5/5] The plus and minus of being in Air are one and the same: You can do the same thing over and over again. The French duo’s first record, Moon Safari, set the bar for ambient jammy electronica; since then, they’ve been resting on their creative laurels-and Pocket Symphony is no different....
Aereogramme
Aereogramme My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go [4.5/5] Aereogramme are masters of subtlety. They employ plenty of soaring vocals, shimmering chord progressions and tactful drumming in their sound, but it’s during the more reserved moments the band truly show their talents. Cliché as it may be to say, it’s all about...