Hey Spring Breakers!

Whether you’re partying it up at at SXSW, Cancun, or your basement, hopefully you’re enjoying some time off this week. In need of some new tunes during all this idle time? Look no further than these Music Staff picks, highlighted by the latest from New Jersey homies Real Estate, southern rock kings Drive-by Truckers, and punchy punk-rockers Bleeding Rainbow! Maybe we’re all on break, but don’t think that means we stopped caring about you.

xoxo,
The Music Department

Real Estate ‰ÛÒ Atlas (Domino)

_WOOOOO

The first twenty seconds of Atlas makes it seem as if the clouds are parting and a ray of sun is shining down as the long awaited three years since the release of Days, has finally come to an end. In “Had to Hear,‰” Martin Courtney begins with a simple and delicate melody, which is quickly layered with Matt Mondanile‰’s unmistakable leading guitar just before the drums and bass all come together. While the instrumentation of the band remains consistent, stylistically, the clarity in production and the lyrical content differ from their previous releases. There is a presence of longing felt throughout the entirety of the album, all the way to the closing tune, “Navigator,‰” when Courtney sings, “I‰’ll meet you where the pavement ends.‰” Similar to “Kinder Blumen‰” from Days and “Atlantic City‰” from their self-titled album, “April‰’s Song‰” is the instrumental interlude of the album. It emphasizes their guitar-based melodies, which is what sets Real Estate above other bands that may have a comparable sound. Along with the album‰’s two singles, “Talking Backwards‰” and “Crime,‰” “Horizon‰” is another highlight; showing off the band‰’s newly developed eloquence, while still embracing their quintessential style. “How Might I Live,‰” is an unexpected and refreshing moment where bassist, Alex Bleeker, takes over the lead vocals. While it doesn‰’t quite live up to Days, Real Estate fans will not be disappointed.
-Katie Cheyne
RIYL: Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing, Ducktails
Recommended Tracks: 1, 3, 6, 9

Drive-By Truckers ‰ÛÒ English Oceans (ATO)

Alt-country giants return with solid if not complacent release

Legends of alt-country and modern Southern rock, Drive-By Truckers are known for using their sense of humor and clever inversion and adaptation of Southern tropes and stereotypes to write trailer park gothics with a gritty edge. On their latest release, they play it pretty straight forward, writing a bunch of good but not great songs that hits a lot of the right musical beats ‰ÛÒ big riffs, driving beats, economically used organ and steel pedal ‰ÛÒ but lack the gravity of Truckers classics like “My Sweet Annette.‰” English Oceans has its highlights though, like pained epic “Pauline Hawkins‰” and would-be-murder ballad “When Walter Went Crazy,‰” both which are fairly representative of the records as a whole. Well written and executed, but so damn bleak that it‰’s a little hard to take for 13 tracks in a row. English Oceans isn‰’t a bad record, but it lacks the color and spark of a lot of previous Drive-By Truckers efforts.
-Michael Lovito
RIYL: Old 97s, Ryan Adams, Houndmouth
Recommended: 4, 6, 9-11

Bleeding Rainbow – Interrupt (Kanine)

Fast and efficient garage punk.

Interrupt, the fourth album from Bleeding Rainbows is a quick affair, running just over a half hour. Bleeding Rainbow nonetheless fit a lot into that half hour, mostly by playing fast and cutting the frills. Most songs on the album maintain a tight, punchiness: they’re fast and loud and they don’t overstay their welcome. The quick and harsh drums and the insistent fuzz-filled power chords give off a strong sense of frustration, with the vocals either adding to the fray with half-screamed anger or countering it with almost sweet and poppy catchiness. There are hints of riot grrrl punk, but for the most part this album fits well in the current garage rock trend. Within the genre, though, Bleeding Rainbows stick out by shunning lo-fi sloppiness in favor of tight, catchy bursts of energy. – Sean Meehan
RIYL: Parquet Courts, Diarrhea Planet, Cheatahs
Recommended Tracks: 1, 3, 7

We Are Scientists – TV en Francais (Dine Alone Records)

Indie-rock band still has chemistry

Returning after a four year break from album releases, We Are Scientists manage to provide another solid album with TV en Francais. The overall sound is a bit darker than the pep and pop that was associated with their past releases, but keeps the structures sound and the power guitar to assure the album never gets too seriously glum. Add that to some serious drum fills and skills, and you won‰’t even notice how low-key the vocalist keeps the soundtrack. In spite of the energy of the drum and prevalence of the riffs, the album never gets incredibly overwhelming in tempo or sound, keeping its cool with tame, grooving tunes. “Slow Down‰” does anything but, proving to be the high point in Andy Burrows‰’ drumming abilities on the album. The album provides more variety than their previous releases, even exploring some late 60s psych-rhythms in “Don‰’t Blow It,‰” where the harmonized vocals peak in melodic value. As a whole, TV en Francais is a carefully concocted catalyst to collectively calm chaos.
-Barbara Martinez
RIYL: Toyko Police Club, The Wombats, Bloc Party
Recommended: 2, 4, 5

Mark McGuire – Along the Way (Dead Oceans)

Making new age cool again

Though proliferation of 80‰’s everything currently pervades a fair amount of music today, it‰’s not very often we see an artist openly embrace the stylings of the often-mocked genre of new age, yet that is exactly what Mark McGuire, former guitarist of now-defunct drone-pop stars Emeralds, does on his solo debut, Along the Way. Despite the embarrassing source of inspiration, McGuire manages to (mostly) only draw from the ethereal, legitimately intriguing aspects of the genre, creating guitar based soundscapes that glisten and shine from every detail. The songs all start simple, generally with a highly delayed guitar line, eventually developing into a multi-instrumental atmosphere of calming, yet engaging noise, with only every now and again a singular guitar line taking clear focus out of the din. Unfortunately, it is at times perhaps too easy to listen too, leaning too heavily on atmosphere and not heavily enough on capturing the listener, though this only happens on a handful of tracks. This is drone and atmospheric music for the casual listener, and although the outright sincerity of the tracks may repel some more “serious‰” fans of this genre, the gentle builds and stratospheres created by Mark McGuire are unquestionably well crafted and among the easiest listens in recent memory.
-Richard Murphy
RIYL: Dustin Wong, Enya, Ducktails
Recommended Tracks: 3, 7 (12 minutes long but great), 13