Pop 'stache

It’s no secret that Neon Trees are high among the rulers of modern pop rock. Between “Animal” (2010) and “Everybody Talks” (2012), the Utah quartet has been heavily played by radio stations and sought after for commercials since its breakthrough opening tour with The Killers in 2008.

Though the band rapidly gained attention following its official debut Habits, and still continues to bring in perpetually larger crowds, it’s been on a disappointing musical decline since its initially unique take on pop rock.

Habits was fun and full of experimental guitar phrases, delivering a catchy set of enthralling songs that was game-changing for modern pop rock. Sadly, 2012’s Picture Show didn’t follow suit, losing the novel songwriting found on its past work and edging more toward unadorned melodies and simpler riffs.

It’s clear, after the release of their third LP, Pop Psychology, that the visionary insight Neon Trees had starting out is now entirely gone.

The band that was once praised for bringing a new spark to a genre that’s hard to break ground in has fully devolved to a sad shell of its former self, focusing entirely on puking out Top 40 hits.

The entire album is littered with obnoxious hand claps and repetitive vocal melodies, obviously cashing in on marketable kitsch and not what made them likable to begin with.

The ’80s-inspired dance rhythms and riffs worked on Picture Show, so naturally they were emphasized tenfold on Pop Psychology. “Text Me In The Morning” starts with overused claps and a minimalistic guitar riff over an equally tired drum line. The chorus is even worse, not even attempting to hide that it plays off of “Everybody Talks.” The shallow lyrics take the mediocre song down to a whole new level, proving Neon Trees has completely lost its roots.

The shift from engaging, prominent guitar parts to boring keyboard and bass sections is a major mistake, and one that absolutely kills the album.

In the band’s earlier days, guitarist Chris Allen played a much larger role. His riffs controlled most of the songs, and rather than being used for subtle background noise and a few chords in the choruses, his playing sat alongside singer Tyler Glenn.

“Living In Another World,” though it still falls far behind Habits, is one of the better songs thanks to Allen’s larger role. Ironically, Glenn sings here, “Four chords and a beat keep me alive”—that’s obviously the case on most of the album, but “Living In Another World” is almost the only song that goes beyond four chords and a beat. Allen also has a fantastic guitar solo in “First Things First,” which is the only good part of that song, proving that leaving more room for Allen’s guitar to shine would have vastly improved the album.

That’s the feel for the majority of Pop Psychology: It could have been done better.

Neon Trees’ track record shows skill, but it feels like the group is holding back in an attempt to be more appealing to the masses. “Unavoidable” brings in drummer Elaine Bradley on backup vocals for her second duet to date, which is an interesting change of pace, since she and Glenn have compatible voices, but the song flops because of its unimaginable musicianship and repetitive feel. Even “Sleeping With A Friend,” the album’s first single, is dull and colorless, losing itself in a techno haze when it could have sounded better as a rock song.

The only genuinely good song is “Voices In The Hall,” which is the only one that ties in to the album title inspired by Glenn’s therapy sessions following the 2012 tour for Picture Show. The lyrics are mournful and Glenn sounds passionate as he sings about a lost lover who he claims is still not gone. The synth is used well for once, creating a distant, nostalgic feeling. It’s almost solely Glenn and a moody keyboard, making for an emotional ride when he claims, “Every night when I’m alone, I can hear your voices in the halls.”

Pop Psychology is decently catchy, but is sacrifices vital elements that made Neon Trees’ past work listenable in exchange for more repetitive, simple songs that might get more radio play. Old fans will be stuck saying the painfully truthful line from “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)”: “They never like the music, they bitch about how cool it used to be.”

How cool it used to be, indeed. It’s been a fun ride, but this looks like the death of one of pop rock’s most promising bands.

Neon Trees – Pop Psychology tracklist:

1. “Love in the 21st Century”
2. “Text Me in the Morning”
3. “Sleeping with a Friend”
4. “Teenager In Love”
5. “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)”
6. “Unavoidable”
7. “Voices in the Hall”
8. “Foolish Behavior”
9. “Living In Another World”
10. “First Things First”

Pete Uhlenbruch, the man behind the moniker Owls of the Swamp, populates ATLAS with charming poetics. Though the record offers an enjoyable ticket down a floating, earthy rabbit hole, Owls of the Swamp’s latest release is sometimes bogged down by its own passivity and veers into lackluster lands.

However, much of ATLAS is the stuff of fantastic dreams. Uhlenbruch’s imagery evokes feelings of impermanence and the timeless effort to find, maintain and harbor love. His guitar playing is gentle and places a strong emphasis on subtle shifts in tone in a mode similar to Nick Drake or Iron & Wine.

Those understated and sometimes unexpected key changes give an impression of utmost melancholy. On “Shelter,” Uhlenbruch sings in an almost-whisper and waxes poetic about the process of constructing a protective place with his nameless other. “Last night I dreamed a dream/of smoke in the distance and ash on the wind,” he sings to close the track, projecting his shaky beliefs about resisting the elements for the long term.

On “Going Home,” Ulhenbruch muses about his lost map and lost compass, overwhelmed by how far he feels from “home,” his elusive final destination. He tries to operate by the light of the moon when all else fails. The sorrowful plucking that draws the curtain on “Going Home” contains a meager tinge of silver lining.

The overarching theme of journeying that is omnipresent on ATLAS is one that the writer seems to be both romanticized and cursed by. Ulhenbruch’s album is defined by this dichotomy. On “Water Song,” he admits, “I’m both part of the ocean and part of the sky/…/I’m part of the day and I’m part of the night/…/I bring both pleasure and pain.”

Owls of the Swamp does almost too good of a job exploring whether or not the journey is the destination, whether the magic that the unattainable holds is meant to be understood.

Ulhenbruch seems poised between the fear of knowing the truth and a wicked passion to never stop pursuing his next station.

While much of ATLAS is made pleasant by touches like the male-female vocal dynamic and the lulling rhythmic pace, it’s difficult to say that the album is particularly exciting. Owls of the Swamp builds an elegantly simple sound, but too often, moments meld together to become indistinguishable from others. This winding at-ease-ness can lead listeners’ interest astray and into some boring territory.

The natural world that Uhlenbruch constructs with wild words and atmospheric instrumentation feels a bit like the still but charged air that accompanies a storm. It’s hard for the listener to tell whether the bad weather has been braved or is only about to begin.

Owls of the Swamp – ATLAS tracklist:

1. “The Hypnotist”
2. “Garden”
3. “Closer Now”
4. “Shapeshifter”
5. “The Fall”
6. “Shelter”
7. “Restless”
8. “Water Song”
9. “Going Home”
10. “Grandfather Clock”

Known for their often anthemic shoegaze, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s latest full-length may raise a few eyebrows. Days of Abandon through Yebo Music is a deviation from Pains’ soaring sound and lacks the power of Belong and their self-titled album.

Pains, often described as indie and noise pop, isn’t using effects pedals as a crutch on this one, and Kip Berman’s songwriting gives Days of Abandon emotional heft that’s been missing on previous records.

Berman lays all of his feelings out on the table, unobscured by shoegaze and pushed front-and-center by pop. The single “Simple and Sure” is an obvious example of this turn toward candor. Berman sings, “It might seem silly, but I’m sure/I just want to be loved, just want to be loved/It might be easy but I know/I simply want to be sure, just want to be sure.” Touching.

However, no amount of honesty breaks through lackluster instrumentals and a hum-drum album.

Berman, on vocals and guitar, alongside Pains staples Alex Naidus, bass, and Kurt Feldman, drums, are more than capable of putting out infectious, delightful records. Abandon just isn’t one of them. Jen Goma (A Sunny Day in Glasgow) and Kelly Pratt (Beirut, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Bright Moments) are featured on the record in a few bright spots like “Kelly” and “Life After Life.”

Art pop isn’t good just because it’s art pop, and while Pains aren’t the most heinous example of this trend, they’re an active participant in a wave of music that falls short of being interesting. “Eurydice” with its swirling blend of guitars, light vocals, and fuzzy synth and rhythms sounds like a lot of other songs, as does the ’90s-influenced “Beautiful You.”

Days of Abandon plays with the idea of dark lyrics accompanied by airy, breathy pop, but only “Until the Sun Explodes” is truly successful.

The bouncy pop number features a wall of synth and guitar sound, and it’s the only track that pairs dark subject matter with bright instrumentals while still being fun.

Holding up Days of Abandon as a paragon of artsy, fuzzy mediocrity isn’t to say that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart aren’t talented or unworthy of praise. The record just fails to make a noise. A lot of feeling and fervor was obviously poured into it, but all that emotion was lost in translation, and it leaves the listener feeling nothing at all.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon tracklist:

1. “Art Smock”
2. “Simple and Sure”
3. “Kelly”
4. “Beautiful You”
5. “Coral and Gold”
6. “Eurydice”
7. “Masokissed”
8. “Until the Sun Explodes”
9. “Life After Life”
10. “The Asp at My Chest”

Losing a bit of the spacey atmosphere explored in its debut and replacing it with more rock-oriented riffs, Morning Parade takes a comfortable step away from the past on next month’s Pure Adulterated Joy.

The Essex quintet stayed close to its original sound, however, still kicking out radio-friendly synth pop/alternative rock tracks that will once again reach a wide fan base. This is largely thanks to the band’s undeniable catchiness and singer/guitarist Steve Sparrow’s silky voice.

Pure Adulterated Joy is an entertaining album that bridges the gap between chart-topping hits and quality music—two things that don’t usually go hand-in-hand. The songs are fun, but still have the occasional lyrical message and show off quality musicianship.

Take the lead single, “Alienation.” The staccato screech of the keyboard drags you in as Sparrow’s vocals swoop in for the kill, giving the song some character. Morning Parade offers a valuable insight through the message it brings up, which is trying to find comfort amongst all the wrong in the world.

“Alienation” talks of progression from the past, which is emphasized in the chorus line, “Everything you are, everything you were, everything  you’ve been is not everything you’ll be.”

Besides the lyrical content, there’s a constant attention to instrumentation. It’s clear that the five-piece stretches further than a simple brand of catchiness, and throws a lot of focus on diversifying the album with complex riffs and sequences. A lot of this is done through pianist Ben Giddings and lead guitarist Chad Thomas, both of whom are prominent in most every song.

“Car Alarms & Sleepless Nights” shows off both of the musicians, starting with Giddings’ tranquil piano over drummer Andrew Hayes’ groovy drums. Sparrow once again adds to the beauty with his swooning vocals, until the guitars come in like a punch to the face. Bassist Phil Titus teams up with Sparrow’s guitar to amplify the gritty riff, and Giddings contributes with one of his many guitar solos while shrieking sound effects are spewed about. The song ends with the quirky, meaningful line that shows the complicated relationship between Sparrow and the “parasite” in the song when he asks, “Would you piss on me if I were on fire?”

But Pure Adulterated Joy is not all smiles and chocolate. “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Autoinjector” stray from more radio-friendly songs like the title track and “Reality Dream,” which are more jovial than these powerful rock songs. “Love Thy Neighbor” is the heaviest track on the album, driven a lot by Hayes’ spastic drums and Sparrow’s unexpectedly gritty vocals alongside robust guitar riffs and spontaneous beat drops, while “Autoinjector” has some of the same themes and some killer mini-solos courtesy of Giddings.

Still, Pure Adulterated Joy‘s most triumphant moments are the bright, atmospheric tracks that Morning Parade pulls off so perfectly.

The albums ends on “Culture Vulture,” the best song on the exceptional sophomore release. It is by far the most lyrically deep, dissecting all that is wrong in our backwards society that puts too much focus on money and the pursuit of attention, among a slew of other things. The chord progression and Sparrow’s vocal melody make for an emotionally stimulating track that makes you evaluate life, while lines like, “Everyone knows everyone and everybody’s goings-on/And everyone wants everyone to try to fuck to get along” are harsh realizations about a culture that cares about all the wrong things.

Morning Parade has hit the sweet spot with Pure Adulterated Joy. It exists at a perfect equilibrium between carefree songs that appeal to the masses and serious ones about real-world issues with empowering musicianship. Either way you look at it, it’s clear that Morning Parade has accomplished something great.

Morning Parade – Pure Adulterated Joy tracklist:

1. “Shake The Cage”
2. “Alienation”
3. “Reality Dream”
4. “Love Thy Neighbor”
5. “Car Alarms & Sleepless Nights”
6. “Autoinjector”
7. “Sharing Cigarettes”
8. “Seasick”
9. “Pure Adulterated Joy”
10. “Culture Vulture”

It seems like the boys of Cloud Nothings are all grown up with their newest release, Here and Nowhere Else.

Produced and mixed by John Congleton (Modest Mouse, the Walkmen) and released by Carpark Records, Cloud Nothings’ third studio album hasn’t lost any steam. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Dylan Baldi, bassist TJ Duke, and drummer Jayson Gerycz are back with a hard-hitting, but sentimental record.

With its indie-rock, lo-fi, punk sound intact, the trio from Cleveland has successfully held onto its unpolished edge while still being vulnerable.

They bust the gate wide open with opening track “Now Hear In,” with a solid hook and their classically sloppy rhythms. Baldi repeats, “I can feel your pain, and I feel alright about it.” The vocals could be mistaken for The Strokes’, but their rough and fuzzy drum and guitar sound is pure Cloud Nothings.

The lyrics throughout the record aren’t exactly poetry, but they do the job.

Here and Nowhere Else is largely about the past and being pissed off, which is communicated better through Cloud Nothings’ fast and furious rock than with words. Rips “Just See Fear” and “No Thoughts” must be propelled by jet fuel, or maybe just a whole lot of angst.

“Pattern Walks” is a thrashing marathon of sound. The track starts out with disjointed rhythms and dissonant chords that eventually, steadily become cohesive, like a distance runner finding their pace. Baldi bellows, “I thought/I thought/I thought” amidst ripping drum riffs, a charging rhythm, and an airy guitar melody that goes on forever, but unfortunately ends too soon.

Cloud Nothings saved the best for last with “I’m Not Part of Me.” It’s a straightforward, no-holds-barred rock track with smatterings of sentimentality. It opens with a reflective Baldi singing, “It starts right now, there’s a way I was before/But I can’t recall how I was those days anymore/I’m learning how to be here and nowhere else/How to focus on what I can do myself.”

Much of the record is about reflection and growth. While the band has retained its powerful, punk, low-fi sound, it’s also gained maturity. In the final bouncing verse, Baldi sings, “Leave it all to memory of/what we did when were young and/now you could just leave me on my own/Oh, moving toward a new idea/You’re not what I really needed/You could just leave me on my own.” Cloud Nothings stand as a band packed with youthful irreverence while still being sentimental and honest.

With added propulsion, a dash of ethos, and unwavering aggression, Cloud Nothings’ Here and Nowhere Else once again proves that being pissed off can hurt so good.

Cloud Nothings- Here and Nowhere Else tracklist:

1. “Now Hear In”
2. “Quiet Today”
3. “Psychic Trauma”
4. “Just See Fear”
5. “Giving Into Seeing”
6. “No Thoughts”
7. “Pattern Walks”
8. “I’m Not Part of Me”

It seems all too soon that Wye Oak is on the cusp of releasing its next album, Shriek, as its previous record was such a refreshing and honestly timeless piece of indie pop. Still, time passes, people move, and ideas form.

Approaching Shriek, Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner had survived two years of touring for Civilian and had moved across the country from one another. As they explain, those years caused them to look at the grandiose swaths of sound from their last album and translate them into more intimate, animalistic vantages of sound and feeling.

They do so with precision and dedication on Shriek, where loss and love and everything feels just as heavy as it did on Civilian, but is brought forth in a sheen of soft keys and a strut of drums and bass that serves Wye Oak’s new direction well.

Along with this conceptual approach came the decision to completely abandon guitar on this album. And while the group’s calling card is undoubtedly the flow between Wasner’s guitar and her voice, the change in direction works to wondrous effects.

Wye Oak 2.0 comes out with an assured poise, and delivers an album that is solid all the way through.

“Shriek,” the title track, is essentially a Beach House B-side, with the same soaring vocal lines and undercurrent flow of keys and drums that made everyone fall in love with Victoria Legrand a couple of years ago. Still, it’s a quietly amazing track, where Wasner’s newfound funk stands out in her bass lines and melodic and rhythmic mapping of the track’s chorus.

The two singles released, “Glory” and “The Tower,” show two sides of the same coin that is Wye Oak.

On the one hand, “The Tower” brings a cathartic experience to the listener as Wasner mulls over her own expectations: “They think the answer lies with me, but I am powerless to stop.” All the while, the almost vacuous fervor with which the synth and drum lines dance about and play with the cagey string section feels as emotionally close to the track’s ethos as can be.

On the other hand is the more upbeat funk of “Glory,” juxtaposing the album’s emotional catharsis with salient groove. More lively and with a strong hook, Wye Oak comes out of its shell with a shrill bass line and echo synth melodies akin to School of Seven Bells’ electronic palette, creating a more radio-friendly single than “The Tower” that’s still tied to the new emotional and sonic approach that the group is looking toward.

You would be hard pressed to find an indie or alternative album out today with the same consistency in breadth and sound and gravity that Shriek has. Wye Oak established its place with Civilian in 2011, but finds itself at the edge of an even higher precipice with Shriek, where powerful songwriting and musical assuredness both play a hand in what makes the album noteworthy. Shriek may very well be an unexpected standout in this year’s  music catalog.

Wye Oak – Shriek tracklist:

1. “Before”
2. “Shriek”
3. “The Tower”
4. “Glory”
5. “Sick Talk”
6. “School of Eyes”
7. “Despicable Animal”
8. “Paradise”
9. “I Know the Law”
10. “Logic of Color”

Want to get to know rock ’n’ roll in the Biblical sense? Look no further than Pink Mountaintops’ latest record with Jagjaguwar, Get Back.

Stephen McBean probably didn’t intend to make “The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Primer” in creating this album, but he unwittingly assembled a smattering of songs that takes on rock in its various folk, fuzz, and classic forms with a guitar at the heart of it all.

For the album’s inspiration, McBean cited “alleys, curbs, walls, and cigarette-stained gig flyers. An island on the Pacific coast. Fake British towns. Slayer posters. The beauty of youth. It’s about listening to Driver’s Seat and ‘Guns of Brixton’ and hotboxing The Duster.”

Get Back features McBean and a swirling cloud of rotating musicians such as J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr. and Witch), Rob Barbato (Darker My Love, The Fall, and Cass McCombs), Steve Kille (Dead Meadow), Annie Hardy (Giant Drag), Jon Wahl (Clawhammer), and Gregg Foreman (Cat Power and Delta 72).

Despite his years on the job, McBean and his swirling cloud have conjured a youthful rock album.

Starting off with a bang, album opener “Ambulance City” is like a Copland symphony—it sounds simple on the surface, but complicated arrangements and rhythms make it so. The track features aggressive, screaming lyrics and echoes, and a chugging guitar riff on top of a steady, full bass and guitar beat, all of which break and fragment. “Ambulance City,” though rougher around the edges, transitions seamlessly into “The Second Summer of Love,” a track with a fuzzy, ’80s feel that plugs along underneath a chorus of, “The second summer of love/The second summer of love.”

“Wheels” opens with a high-pitched guitar tremolo like a train crossing closing. Its string-bending, dissonant melodic line makes the track feel like the title song to a strange spaghetti Western. The lyrics ask, “Don’t you feel there’s a current in our blood?/Don’t you feel but there’s still no answers?/But there’s still no answers/But there still are answers.” It’s the most misanthropic track on the record.

Meanwhile, “Sixteen” is purposeful, energetic, and full of youthful indiscretion with lines like, “Sixteen was the sound of smashing glass just for kicks,” and “All we want to do tonight is to fall in love and meet the midnight sky.” It’s a pure, fast rock song with a saxophone solo tossed in for good measure.

“North Hollywood Microwaves” is either the most compelling or most unnecessary track on Get Back.

It’s a crass, stream of consciousness free-for-all between McBean’s playful saxophone line and Annie Hardy spitting a reprehensible rap about switchblades, crack, Rod Stewart, screwing, and an insatiable need for bear semen. As obscene as it is, and while “North Hollywood Microwaves” is not a pleasant song, it’s something that parents would wholly disapprove of, which is one of the most rock ’n’ roll things there is. The track’s biggest fault is that its shock value may just draw attention away from the rest of the record.

A trip through fuzz, post-rock, rock ’n’ roll, and psychedelic rock, “The Last Dance” is nothing short of incredible. Luckily, it pushes the eight-minute mark, so there’s plenty there to savor. From the utterance of, “Darlin’, save the last dance for me” onward, the song hooks the heart and ears with a building and simultaneously collapsing arrangement of drum fills, bass riffs, guitar solos, and pounding piano chords. It’s like every aspect of rock music was shoved together and then imploded.

Thematically and musically, Pink Mountaintops taps into the essence of rock ’n’ roll with Get Back. The record once again proves that rock is hard to define and often is whatever one wants it to be, at least as long as there’s a guitar, youthful spirit, and maybe a stage dive involved.

Pink Mountaintops – Get Back tracklist:

1. “Ambulance City”
2. “The Second Summer of Love”
3. ”Through All the Worry”
4. “Wheels”
5. “Sell Your Soul”
6. “North Hollywood Microwaves”
7. “Sixteen”
8. “New Teenage Mutilation”
9. “Shakedown”
10. “The Last Dance”

Anyone who thinks old people can’t rock is about to be silenced.

Tiny Empires is made up of ex-members of a number of underground punk bands, making a supergroup of experienced musicians who’ve paid their dues. These self-proclaimed “older men” got together a few years ago and are finally releasing their killer debut full-length, Weird Headspace.

Fans of O Pioneers!!! and New Bruises—the two bands that make up the bulk of what is now Tiny Empires—will be surprised at what they hear. This hybrid brings the intensity of the past bands and adds more cohesive, melodic elements to the music. The end result is a thrilling mess of post-punk at its best, marrying the raw elements of punk with more complex riffs and singable refrains.

Even the dynamic song the band released as a split with Tiger’s Jaw in 2012 couldn’t mentally prepare listeners for the mayhem that comes on Weird Headspace.

The Houston/Tampa-based quintet has hit the sweet spot, crafting a perfect mixture of classic, heavy-hitting punk with more complex riffs and songwriting. Singers Eric Solomon and Byron Lippincott work off of each other impeccably, and to put the icing on this delicious cake, the band has three guitarists, making each track loud as hell.

The short debut starts with a low growl that soon explodes into the album-spanning frenzied uproar Tiny Empires will be known for. “Wide Open Spaces” shows off the sheer power of the group, both musically and vocally. The instrumentals are cranked up to full blast, filling the track with fierce distortion and thrashing drums. Solomon goes all out, repeating the recurring opening lines with his vigorous, hoarse yells that take the song—and overall album—to an otherwise unreachable high.

This emotional surge only intensifies as the album continues, never stopping or slowing for a moment.

Every song starts off with a comparably relaxed mood, but that never lasts long. Eventually the sedated intros erupt into a fiery mess of emotion. A lot of this ferocity is thanks to the two singers, who multiply the energy of each song by offsetting Lippincott’s melodic croon with Solomon’s relentless howls.

“Air Conditioning, Full Blast” epitomizes this contrast with melodic singing in the verses countered by the explosive screams in the chorus and bridge. Then there’s “What’s The Plan Phil,” which does the opposite. The entire song is loud and bold, this time allowing the verses to run rampant while some backup singing is thrown into the chorus to tone the screaming down a bit.

Though Solomon and Lippincott drive the music to a higher state, the instrumentals play an equally important role.

Take “Tired Hearts and Livers,” which starts out with catchy drums and adds other instruments in succession. When the first guitar comes in with a simple riff, it’s not too enthralling, but by the time the third guitarist and bassist have joined, it’s an intricate soundscape that draws you in for the characteristic explosion. From here, Solomon and Lippincott add to the madness with another dynamic performance, ultimately making “Tired Hearts and Livers” the best song on the album.

Weird Headspace ends triumphantly on a nine-plus-minute medley of dissonant badassery.

“Blurry Photos, Dead Leaves, Decomposed” starts with two crunchy guitars and quiet singing, though this is only one of many musical motifs in the song. This ends with groovy bass and screaming vocals in the verse, eventually collapsing into the album’s most epic chorus.

The overwhelming distortion and clashing riffs make for an unmatched tension, and by breaking down into that recurring cacophonous clatter, it generates a disorienting atmosphere that swallows listeners whole. Following this spell, the third discernible movement to the song continues on that uncomfortable path with shrieking guitars and off-putting harmonies. Rather than pegging this as a regrettable mistake, it’s obvious the band meant to rouse these feelings. The stylistic choices it makes create a thunderous, mind-shattering ending to this monster of a debut.

The entirety of Weird Headspace shows the flawless chemistry this band already has, despite its short life thus far. These seasoned musicians aren’t here to fuck around—Tiny Empires wanted to unleash hell on its debut LP and did just that.

Tiny Empires – Weird Headspace tracklist:

1. “Wide Open Spaces”
2. “What’s The Plan, Phil”
3. “Just Imagine”
4. “Tired Hearts and Livers”
5. “Air Conditioning, Full Blast”
6. “Blurry Photos, Dead Leaves, Decomposed”

Brooklyn’s TEEN has followed up its 2012 debut, In Limbo, with a more fleshed-out, rhythmically diverse and in some ways less obvious record. The pretty, spacey pop appeal of its debut is still present on this second release, but the approach is more streamlined and impactful.

The Way and Color opens with a bouncing bassline that sounds pretty seriously informed by the recent St. Vincent/David Byrne collaboration Love This Giant. “Rose 4 U” builds from an electronic loop that whirs to life like a vestigial bone, a tonal leftover from a decommisioned arcade game.

That insistent gadgetry gives way to crystalline keys that distantly echo behind cresting and spiraling harmonies that showcase the angelic ability of the band’s harmonic machine. The four women who comprise TEEN are a vocal powerhouse.

Songs like “More Than I Ask For” exemplify the quartet’s pop precision. Lead vocalist Teeny Lieberson’s performance fluctuates around her swaying phrasing.

A chorus of “My my my my my my my my” walks down the notes with her, hand in hand. These qualities showcase TEEN evolving a more vocally-driven sound, not only structurally, but in the mix of their latest record.

On much of The Way and Color, the rhythm section secures the footing for the shifting, atmospheric keyboards. Sampled tones that overlay the percussion actually reinforce the clean and tailored feel of the album. TEEN’s sophomore effort sounds like it’s preserved under glass.

Moments like the verse-to-chorus exchange on “Breathe Low & Deep” keep the album from stagnating in its ambient scaffolding. The floor falls away and the words, “Breathe low and deep/Breathe low and deep”—sounding like helpful instructions and also a reminder directed at the self—permeate a brass-filled openness that’s colored with the same brush as some older Grizzly Bear tunes. A similar effect is heard on “Tied Up Tied Down,” when it picks up exhilaratingly following a brief, spacey repose partway through.

As TEEN composes its pieces, certain components, while interesting, do seem to be a tad scatterbrained. On “Sticky,” some of the cogs in the synthetic machine, tweaks and tics that form the fragile webbing of the song’s shelter, seem out of place, especially in light of the track’s powerful vocal performance, one that’s almost akin to an R&B flavoring.

TEEN excels in transforming certain off-putting shades of keyboard-driven electronic music into attractive and often more intellectual chunks while maintaining a casual listenability. There’s a richness to The Way and Color that is vivid enough to shine over any hiccups that might catch listeners off guard. TEEN has given listeners a genre-stitching treat that blooms as it’s pulled apart.

TEEN – The Way and Color tracklist:

1. “Rose 4 U”
2. “Not For Long”
3. “Tied Up Tied Down”
4. “Sticky”
5. “Breathe Low & Deep”
6. “Voices”
7. “More Than I Ask For”
8. “Toi Toi Toi”
9. “Reconsider”
10. “All the Same”

Protomartyr has proven that less can be more with its sophomore album, Under Color Of Official Right.

The Detroit-based experimental punk-rock quartet has put together a deafening, minimalistic record that likens itself to a mixture of The National and early Interpol, dwelling on melancholy subject matter with a subtle, upbeat flair.

The result is one catchy, noisy, hell of an album. Joe Casey’s vocals and lyrics give Protomartyr’s music a tenacious edge that is reinforced by guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, and drummer Alex Leonard, all doing a flawless job of playing on Casey’s dark themes and stylistically grim voice.

 Under Color Of Official Right seizes you from the very start and never loses hold, progressively dragging you further into the somber world Protomartyr constructs around the bleak aspects of its hometown.

The darkest of these is the record’s first single, “Scum, Rise!” The song covers the fictional explosion of a sports bar in town that kills everyone inside, as well as a father abandoning his son at 7 years old, among other things. Instrumentally, the song is eerie and vigorous, setting the scene for Casey’s nightmarish lyrics and intense vocals.

The emotion behind the song is potent, especially as Casey viciously barks the repeated line, “Scum, Rise!” between shocking narratives.

These aberrant stories show the scum of the world are everywhere, whether through a personal connection or a freak outbreak of brutality.

Either way, it’s hard not to feel as helpless as the kid when Casey frantically restates, “There’s nothing you can do.”

The upbeat tracks still have the same bleak themes, namely “Violent.” The juxtaposition of sordid mariner stories and the flowery tune makes the song subtly twisted, even with the cheery chorus stating, “If it’s violent, good/’Cause if it’s violent then it’s understood.” Protomartyr is reaching far past the story of the song here, exposing the mindset that violence is a natural and acceptable reaction to adversity. Though this can be true, the song comments on the absurdity of violence, as the story begins with one man prepared to shoot another because he’s snoring too loudly in his sleep. Still, the surprising musicality is the most attractive part of the song, contrasting with Casey’s lyrics and gloomy vocals.

Protomartyr’s instrumentals are actually one of the best aspects of the album, coming across as both minimal and elaborate at the same time.

Ahee never does too much or too little, settling for a perfect middle ground between simple riffs and bold, over-driven chords. He shines on tracks like “What The Wall Said,” where he shifts from droning, muddy chords to shimmering, triumphant guitar, and “Tarpeian Rock,” the band’s experimental masterpiece.

Still, the band works best as a whole, playing off of each other with pristine expertise.

The best tracks are those with a specific feel, like the empowering “Bad Advice” that at times sounds like a simplified Rage Against the Machine song, or “Come & See,” which has a dancey beginning that leads up to a clamorous, thundering ending.

“I’ll Take That Applause” closes the album on the best song, showing all of the members at their best.

The track is contagious and intense, kicking into the most energetic moment on Under Color Of Official Right with roaring guitar and epic drums. By the end, it’s hard not to agree with Casey, who starts the song by yelling, “And I’ll take that applause because I deserve it.”

Under Color Of Official Right is an intelligent, cohesive release from a band that’s gaining some rightful attention with its two singles.

Protomartyr has concocted a telling look at society through vast lyrical content and outlandish storytelling, all the while incorporating catchy tunes and strategic songwriting. There’s a lot of subtle depth to this album, making it even more valuable than it appears to be at first glance.

Protomartyr – Under Color Of Official Right tracklist:

1. “Maidenhead”
2. “Ain’t So Simple”
3. “Want Remover”
4. “Trust Me Billy
5. “Pagans”
6. “What The Wall Said”
7. “Tarpeian Rock”
8. “Bad Advice”
9. “Son of Dis”
10. “Scum, Rise!”
11. “I Stare At Walls”
12. “Come & See”
13. “Violent”
14. “I’ll Take That Applause”

For the duration of pop music on the world stage, Scandinavia has blessed the world with quality in every corner of popular music.

From metal to pop to whatever Bjork is, our friends in the north know how to write and craft, and have been churning out music for every genre for years, so little treats like Thus Owls are no surprise to the trained ear. Originally from Sweden, married couple Erika and Simon Angell, now based in Montreal, have followed up their second album, 2012’s Harbours, with Turning Rocks.

The album is an exploration of sound in tone and atmosphere, as Simon’s proficiency in guitar particularly shines through in the music’s cloudy landscape. In addition, the couple has said that keys—in particular mid-20^th century organs—were integral to the creation of the sound of Turning Rocks. True, you can hear various organ sounds throughout the album, but the wonderful thing about the way the Angells craft songs is their reluctance to allow the crux of their album’s musical inspiration to completely consume or overpower the sound they’ve created over the past couple of years.

The married duo’s mastery of tone and aura shines alongside a strong melancholia that encompasses intelligent songwriting and instrumentation.

Turning Rocks feels warm and cold, quiet and loud, and is patient enough to let its musical moments play out fully.

A wonderful example of this is the title track, which gallops along a soft organ pulse as guitars swell in and out of Erika’s crooning, becoming as wild as the landscapes that shape and inspire their music.

“Smoke Like Birds” and “How, In My Bones”—both highlights of Turning Rocks—show in their differences the variable sound that the Angells are creating. While the former brings an airy, driving, almost staccato song structure, the latter’s loose jangle and spacious use of sound demonstrate how the album itself works as a whole to ebb and flow through sound and feeling.

The album closes with “Thief,” in which Erika’s tone-altered voice, straight from the pages of Karin Dreijer Andersson, encapsulates the feeling of Turning Rocks. “Now Ill always be someone’s fortune, came out of tragedy,” she yearns, as her lamentations give way to Simon’s driving, hypnotic guitar and drum crescendo. “Thief” is quite the apt ending for the work, and an impressive, haunting piece of music.

Thus Owls, with Turning Rocks, have created chamber folk-pop with an attitude, as if Annie Clark decided her guitar was too crunchy. It’s not an album of singles and pop hits, but one whose whole is better than its parts.

Erika has said that the album was inspired by her childhood home, on a small island in Sweden, and by the stories of the house and her family members throughout the years. These sentiments seem aptly translated in Turning Rocks, which drives through emotion with clarity and purpose.

Thus Owls – Turning Rocks tracklist:

1. “As Long As We Try A Little”
2. “How, In My Bones”
3. “Bloody War”
4. “A Windful of Screams”
5. “Ropes”
6. “Turning Rocks”
7. “Smoke Like Birds”
8. “White Flags Down”
9. “Could I But Dream That Dream Once More”
10. “Thief”