Old cars dont have MP3 hookups, and those radio receivers always dissolve into static. Trusty steeds take CDs, and yours needs summer music. Short of burning yourself a copy of this mixtape, you need a new love.
Here it is: Actor-Caster by Generationals.
Generationals plays the sort of perky, bouncy indie pop thats only applicable from April to September. As soon as the mercury hits 70?, this goes in. As soon as the leaves start to turn, this will be out.
But in between? Goodness gracious.
This is glorious summer music. Ringing pianos, buzzing bass and tidy distorted guitars make this an exuberant experience. If you blast Black and White while driving on a county road, its as close to a movie as youre going to get. Ten-Twenty-Ten is beginning-of-an-epic-road-trip music. Greenleaf is perky exit music for a rom-com. This whole album means little, but depth is a relatively unimportant concept when youre hollering You Say It Too or I Promise at the top of your lungs.
The one beef I have with Actor-Caster is that several times, the band could have gone for broke with the arrangement (dont you have any friends with a trumpet?) and holds back. Theres no massive guitar-mashing moment, no triumphant crescendo. Its just I mean it coulda been oh, well. Its still great.
But, hey, isnt that what summers like, anyway? Stephen Carradini