Take post-rock ala Tortoise and Trans Am, inject it with Midwest melody stylings of Braid and The Promise Ring, and Rush and King Crimson’s prog tendencies.
Rich, musty mixtures of Old World sounds like klezmer horns, accordions and glockenspiels create a heady aura of nostalgia as well as a lot of catchy hooks.
Mostly acoustic, with unabashed winks to Cheap Trick and Sinead O’Conner, played with soul-touching integrity, but there’s no great impact on the listener.
Not the usual head-cuttin’ stompin’ blues curiosity the label specializes in. James “Super Chikan” Johnson’s soulful elaborations on old themes will win fans.
A mix of Seal, Peter Gabriel, and NIN (the slow stuff). Of course, anyone who wants to copy NIN sounds like Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, or Prick.
A nice variation of styles, but most of the album’s moments still don’t rise above your standard “technical pop punk with Dokken-sounding guitars” bunch.
Starflyer 59 punctures the listener’s emotional defense shield with yearning vocals, slithering melodies, and face-in-hands tragedy that’s all too beautiful.