Blouse - Self-Titled (November 1, 2011)
Blouse, a dreampop trio from Portland, Oregon, came together in 2010 after members Charlie Hilton and Patrick Adams met in Los Angeles. By way of the internet, their synth tracks caught the attention of Captured Tracks of Brooklyn, New York, who released their 7” single Into Black in March of 2011. By November, their full-length album was released and indie bloggers quickly took notice. Their self-titled is reminiscent of the new wave of the late 80s, with a soft, pop touch. “Videotapes” juxtaposes melancholy lyrics – “What it would be like to see you again?/ You’re not in my hands,/ But I see you often in my head.” –with a bright, synth-driven soundscape. While electronic elements serve as the album’s common thread, their first single, “Into Black,” features more traditional instrumentation and an unbearably catchy guitar hook. Hilton’s indifferent delivery makes this the perfect album for the age of apathy.
Chairlift - Something (January 23, 2012)
Originally from Boulder, Colorado, and now based in Brooklyn, New York, the story of Chairlift can only be described as a 21st century fairy tale. After rising to prominence thanks to the appearance of their song “Bruises” in an iPod Nano commercial, Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly have just released their second full length on Columbia Records/Young Turks – their first album since 2008. While the opening moments of the album sound like they come straight from a video game soundtrack, it quickly finds its footing. The album’s first single, “Amanaemonesia,” is equal parts 80s jangle and contemporary Williamsburg electropop. What sets Chairlift apart from the try-
hards are Polachek’s convincingly confessional lyrics, as in “Wrong Opinion”; “I lay my guts out on the table/ and you said no.” Eschewing the overwrought poeticism that has become the common lyrical faire of indie stars, Polachek’s lyrics are better for their comparatively raw simplicity. In Something, Chairlift have delivered a bare bones approach to electronic pop music and proved the maxim that less is more.
Hospitality - Self-Titled (January 31, 2012)
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, the indie pop capital of the world, Hospitality’s new self-titled released by Merge records is not as inviting as their name would suggest. The track titles—“Friends of Friends,” “Sleepover,” “Argonauts,” and “Liberal Arts” in particular—read like the lineup card of a Wednesday night gig at a Williamsburg dive bar, and do little, if anything, to suggest what this band may or may not stand for. There is nothing particularly offensive about this music to be sure, but Amber Papini’s vocals and guitar do little to galvanize me either. The album begins promisingly enough—a simple chord pattern gives way to seemingly authentic voice—but by “The Birthday” the music has veered wildly toward Eastern European folk worship. The end result is an album that feels completely disjointed and without definable character. If trying to please too many people at once is the worst sin a band can commit, Hospitality seems doomed to an eternity of flames.
Kira Cole 