Album Reviews

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Published: Feb 24, 2010

Squeezable Softness

Humble: But not obnoxiously so. The sweet, cinematic guitar pop of Sweden's Shout Out Louds will hit you where Luna used to. It's just so damn pretty, so damn smart. And: There's a warm familiarity to Work. These songs open a little round portal into the greater consciousness of, say, your Brit-pop playlist. Perhaps: That's why this band has always felt like it's from another time. "Moon" deserves to be bounced off your old dorm room walls. And "Candle Burned Out"? I'm picturing a Molly Ringwald crying montage, the emo storm before the storybook ending.

—Patrick Rapa

Heat Up, Chill Out

That's hot: Whether your current romantic status is mopey or schmoopy, London's two-man, two-woman Scanners should be your sound track for waking up and winding down. Getting warmer: On their sophomore effort, Submarine, singer Sarah Daly and lyricist Matt Mole give trite titles like "Salvation" and "Goodbye" a glamorous goth bite. Cool schmool: "Jesus Saves" and "Strangelovehate" share a sonic wavelength with early Cure or East Hundred. So cold: The brittle, atmospheric keys bear the icy trademark of producer Stephen Hague (see New Order and Pet Shop Boys).

—M.J. Fine

Auspicious Pose

Look, I know: "Devotional yogic chanting with a Western influence." You can already imagine this guy's site: smug posture pics, a place to buy DVDs, hideous elfin font choices. But: Das has a bowing-cello kinda voice, sawing deeply through Hindi/Sanskrit/English lyrics. The occasional peppy beats and churchy choir are a nice touch. Yeah: You probably won't care about this unless you're already living downward doggy-style. But one day: You'll be in some shop that smells like lilac farts and you'll just have to ask the lady who this is she's playing. "It's Krishna Das," she will say. "And I think I love you."

—Patrick Rapa

Controlled Chaos
Surfer Blood
Chile!
Miles Kurosky
Show Me How You Do That Trick
All Crazy
Sugar Town
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Wild Beasts