Having never really listened to anything he’s done before, I feel a little guilty, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. I’m glad this album is selling well, that says something for humanity. The opening track is probably the most accessible, but its mixed strangely, very mid-heavy, so that it makes i hard to really crank it up. His vocals are lovely (although it’s strange to have the high and low registers mixed in the same song, and most of the time I can’t understand a word he’s saying), and the instrumentation is absolutely fantastic, but the whole thing kind of floats into the background after the opener, though there are several other tracks I really like. The last track is almost like a joke, like he had this song written and said, wait, let’s pretend it 1986 and see what happens.

There’s a moment I love in almost every song though. ‘Perth,’ ‘Holocene,’ ‘Michicant’ (that delicate second with the violins, ahhh) are my faves.

Singer sounds like a young, pretty PJ Harvey. The whole album is 90stastic. I think the effects on the guitars and vocals push it over the edge, the guitars sound especially come as you are. Each member of the band doesn’t sound like they’re listening to the other ones, the vocalist is especially disconnected, like the instruments were recorded and she came in later. It equates minor with modern, and while straying from bar chords is admirable, the songs sound thin and meandering without something consistent to hold it down.

All this being said, there are some moments on this album I really like, and if it had come out 15 years ago I might have loved it (except ‘Baby’). As it is, it sounds dated and it came out less than a year ago.

‘Undertow’ is probably the best representation of the band.

About as 80s as you can get wile being out of the 80s. Baritone vocal heavily reminiscent of Magnetic Fields of Depeche Mode (or even Interpol), they use the word love in just about every song, but the melodies are undeniable, and the updated beats and instrumentation makes the whole affair infinitely more listenable than going back and listening to obscure 80s crap.

Standouts: ‘Streetlights, ’Bad Love.’

Primitive, driving percussion, haunting background vocals. But it still has the problem that plagues female vocalists: soul spats. There are a few toe-tappers, but the ballads are just too generic, and while arrangements are tasteful and well-done, Placing the focus of an entire album on one voice, it just has never sat well to me, I suppose I’m just more drawn to good ensembles over individuals.

Overall the songwriting is pretty blah, generic pop tunes that stay in very well defined limits. her voice certainly has more personalty than most, but its just not my cup of tea.

Rave-worthy beats combined with beatlesesque string work. Vocals can get a bit stale, but are solid. ‘Oh God Oh Dear’ is the standout. Good eclectic, optimistic album.

Solid electropop. Good beats.

If Jim James grew up on synths instead of guitars. Pretty solid EP.

Slightly pretentious, but earnestly so. Good instrumentation, his vocals sound like Devendra Banhardy but not as desperate for a personality. Best local music I’ve heard.

Keyboards + classical guitars = good. Song structures, real melodies, pretty good little EP.

Nothing new, no real stand out tracks. Not bad, just more of the same.