Here is a band that has gotten a great deal of hype over the year for cashing in on 90s slacker indie rock sounds. The coolly disinterested vocals of Karly Kartzman recall artists like Liz Phair. The captured the boozy guitar tones of My Bloody Valentine without coupling it with the kind of bleak melancholy that gives shoe-gaze their feel, the reason for this being it's harder to write pop ditties like "Townies" when you are being a downer. The begins to fade into marginally more introspection for "Wound Up Here". The vocal lines are not as catchy on this one.
There is a folk strum to "Elderberry Wine" that is the first that works more of their country side into the songwriting rather than just being window dressing in the periphery. "Phish Pepsi" shows they are also into the Grateful Dead. It works off a jammed country tinged drone. "Candy Breath" benefits from a strong bass-line as they head backs into the 90s indie rock. It has a quirky charm but is not that hooky. Then the minute and a half of romantic pining that is "the Way Love Goes" comes in to not waste too much time.
There is more of their quaint middle of the road musings on "Pick Up That Knife" that meanders a bit. "WASP" feels like they are just trying to make a punk song without that really being who they are . It is not the worst thing I have heard all week. "Bitter Everyday" follows the now formulaic indie -90s sound being passed off as a country shoe-gaze hybrid which is achieved more effectively on Ethel Cain's new album. The meandering begins to consume the album's third act as it gets mired down in ballads. I will give this album an 8.5, they have a good idea what they want to do , but tend to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks
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