Labels: Lame-O Records – Run for Cover
Review by: MH
This is some quirky and poppy indie rock from a duo from Philadelphia who sound somewhere between The Front Bottoms and The Weakerthans thanks partly to do the offbeat vocals. The Weakerthans influence is pretty clear but they are a far more youthful band in their sound as well as age. I do struggle to connect with the lyrics which are full of first world, 2013 problems. One of these songs is a social network-focused monster – it’s all about communicating with a girl on Facebook and Twitter and how she is too engrossed in her iphone to notice him. I think this one will almost certainly divide even the most ardent of fans. It’s all quite easy on the ears though with some nice fingerpicking and some pretty guitar moments here and there. I would pick out “I Think You Were In My Profile Picture Once” (I take it this title is also Facebook-themed) which is a nice, sad song with some pretty guitar and female backing vocals, and also “Cooke” which is a slower song with a bigger chorus. I think if you like The Front Bottoms you will probably like this. A few of my friends go mad for them and have been blithering on about this album for a good while now.