“Synchronised Swimmers” is the effervescent acoustic pop of The Weepies, only swapping Americans for Icelandic people and introducing banjo into the mix. There is no possible way to dislike this music, unless you’re opposed to things that sound pretty and make you want to sing. Iceland’s almost-to-be-expected plucky soprano vocals apply here, as Huld’s almost-too-cute […]
Pop
Posted inMusic
Lenka — Two
The Australian pop ingénue caught my ear with “Roll with the Punches,” a tune that would be at home having a tea party with She and Him, Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor. The plucky vocal stylings of Spektor meets the faux vintage sound of She and Him while the exuberant arrangements of Michaelson cap the […]
Posted inMusic
Smith Westerns — Dye It Blonde
The new wave of “it” bands remember good songs and have decided to write some. Like Brits Yuck and New Yorker Luke Rathborne, the Chicagoans in Smith Westerns have put their heads together to make solid guitar rock tunes on “Dye It Blonde.” Nothing new under the sun, for real. But the reason that Smith […]
Posted inMusic
Buried Beds — Tremble the Sails
Buried Beds accomplishes the former on “Tremble the Sails,” but the latter has struggles. Rare is the group that can have it both ways. Buried Beds relies on piano to carry their poppy side and guitars to carry their darker ideas. That’s enough to throw red flags up in my mind; something about a house […]
Posted inMusic
Lelia Broussard — Masquerade
Lelia Broussard’s “Masquerade” is an unassuming, bouncy, acoustic-based female singer/songwriter record that I unabashedly love — even though there’s absolutely nothing unique about it. It’s an inversion of Adele’s “21”: While Adele is working hard to take the world by storm with her gravitas and emotive power, Broussard will soon be breezing through the indie […]
Posted inMusic
Noah and the Whale — Last Night on Earth
Noah and the Whale’s “Last Night On Earth” trades in the acoustic guitars and clever lyrics of previous efforts for big synthesizer hooks and optimistic platitudes. These tunes aren’t bad. They have solid choruses, good instrumental melodies and pleasing arrangements. All those elements are carried over from Noah’s two earlier albums. But there are bands […]
Posted inMusic
Brianna Gaither — Love Is Patient
Edmond native Brianna Gaither’s “Find You” does that immediately, kicking off her brilliant “Love Is Patient” album with a bang. “Find You” opens with a pensive piano line, haunting guitar and a propulsive snare/ kick beat that creates intriguing tension between the urgent rhythm section and the casual melodic instruments. Then, her lilting voice comes […]
Posted inMusic
Luke Rathborne — Dog Years E.P./I Can Be One E.P.
You know, just another week in the life. If any of you aren’t very interested at this point, the rest of this review probably won’t help you. For those of you who are (like me) totally floored at this point, here’s the skinny: Luke Rathborne has a golden voice, a brilliant songwriting style that draws […]
Posted inMusic
Kurt Vile — Smoke Ring for My Halo
Your bros went down to 35 Conferette in advance of their SXSW trip. It was a long week, so you didn’t feel like driving fast to catch up with them. You just want to chill. If it was last year, the mood from Beach House’s “Teen Dream” would be washing over your room, but it’s […]
Posted inMusic
Simon and Garfunkel — Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition
Columbia’s new edition to commemorate the watershed work’s four decades in existence certainly make that case. The post-“Graduate” album — and arguably, the duo — is best known for its title track, which remains a transcendent listening experience, hitting soaring heights late in the five-minute track that make for spine shivers, not to mention quite […]