The number of chords on Shelf Life, remains low as the number of measures rises, also dropping levels of emotionality, originality, and je ne sais quoi.
Take in the glory of Seattle’s Fastbacks, a band who have been playing some of the best pop-punk since before Green Day learned the chords to “Highway to Hell.”
The traditional fast and plunky riffs are meshed with scratchy, yet coherent vocals, creating a question mark as to whether this is a ’98 or an ’88 release.
Insularia intertwines delicate female crooning with gloom-tipped tantalizing string arrangements, calling to mind 4AD and C’est La Mort’s ethereal heydays.