Pop Unknown

The August Division (Sessions)
by Tim Den

Pop Unknown continue to get better with each release. The August Division, the band’s first full-length since leaving Deep Elm, is by far their finest hour. They harness The Cure’s poppiest moments, buttering up the surface with echo-y guitars and sentimentality. Songs like “Another Holiday” and “The Invisible Complex” rumble with all the emotions (but not the button-pushing side effects), while “As God and Everest” and “Morphine” see the band tackling mood pieces with serene, flowing guitar passages. A solid display of maturity and feel-good somber pop, The August Division will leave you humming for days.
(15 Janis Way Scotts Valley, CA 95066)