Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Yeasayer
Title: Odd Blood
Release Date: February 9th, 2010
Label: Secretly Canadian
Thoughts: Back in 2007 when all the hoopla surrounding Yeasayer first broke we had a tough time getting into their trippy version indie rock. Sure, "2080" was one of the catchiest songs of the year but beyond that one shining example we didn't find much in the sound of the band to be all that exciting. To us it sounded like a poor Animal Collective imitation and we lost interest after only a few lessons. Of course the rest of the indie music world found it to be a much more enjoyable listen and the band was launched into the upper echelon of the indie stratosphere. Because of that their sophomore release, Odd Blood, has been one of the most anticipated releases of 2010 and has been talked about to no end on message boards and blogs for a few weeks following the release of the first single, "Ambling Alp". That tune managed to pique our interest a bit and forced our hand to try and give the new record as much of an impartial listen as we could. The song showed an expanded interest in textures and layers, even more than what went down on All Hour Cymbals, and even more exciting it showed off some of the melody that made "2080" so catchy. We've had a chance to really listen to this record a few times now, ignoring their Twitter update, "Presents are always spoiled for those who open them before they are supposed to.", entirely. Most of you have probably ignored it as well and hopefully you're finding the record to be an improvement on almost every aspect of their music. Odd Blood is a record that shows far more depth than anything featured on All Hour Cymbals. It still strays into the psychedelic and jam band neighborhoods, but there is renewed focus on the melodies of the songs here and it makes the sound more inviting overall. Musically the band has added a lot more elements of digital sound from what they were doing previously, most notably on album opener "The Children", but it's also present throughout the record. There is still a focus on world sounds, but there are a lot of elements playing a part in building a more cohesive and more enjoyable record. Unlike All Hour Cymbals we never really get bored listening to Odd Blood and each successive listen seems to reveal a new layer or sound for us to get excited about. This is a much better record than the debut that sent them soaring, so expect a lot of people to expunge far more than we already have right here. Oh, and make sure you buy the record if you've already "unwrapped your present"!
Listen: Yeasayer - "Ambling Alp"
Yeasayer - "O.N.E."



Who: Field Music
Title: Measure
Release Date: February 16th, 2010
Label: Memphis Industries
Thoughts: When Field Music released Tones of Town back in 2007 folks that had already heard of the band through their self-titled debut were pretty excited about the new tunes. Others kind of ignored the fantastic record, allowing it to become one of the best and most overlooked records of '07! The beauty of the indie pop on that record was immediately engaging, dragging you in one fantastic harmony after another. On their upcoming album Measure, the band is at again crafting the same sort of indie pop they have stuck with through the three albums of their career. This record swings and bounces just like everything they've done before, there's depth to each of the songs, and the instrumentation is flawless on the record, but maybe it can be at times a bit too perfect. Where Tones of Town was thoroughly engaging from start to finish, Measure loses a bit of it's luster when songs start to run together about midway through the record. Occasionally, Field Music sound a bit like and indie pop knock-off, aping the sounds and styles of the early part of the decade that helped launch indie music to the level it currently enjoys. I guess this isn't so much a bad thing as it is something I didn't really expect from Field Music. Personally, I thought they would continue to expand their sound, adding layers and harmonies and going deeper into their abilities as songwriters, but really they sound more like they are copying their past successes and trying to turn it into something new. It's not a failure at all and the record does have some truly amazing moments, but the overall feel of the record is of a band that was fully content with what it had done in the past and saw no reason to try anything new.
Listen: Field Music - "Each Time Is A New Time"
Field Music - "Effortlessly"



Who: Class Actress
Title: Journal Of Ardency
Release Date: February 9th, 2010
Label: Terrible Records
Thoughts: One of two bands currently signed to Chris Taylor's (of Grizzly Bear fame) nascent indie label, Class Actress is sure to get more than her fair share of attention just from that association. Normally this sort of undeserved recognition would drive me a bit batty, but after listening to Class Actress' debut EP, Journal Of Ardency, practically on repeat all weekend I have to say that any of the recognition she gets because of the whole Grizzly Bear thing will pale in comparison to the attention Class Actress deserves on their own musical merit. The soaked in 80's pop and New Wave sounds of the debut EP are fantastic, immediately addictive, loaded with layers, and surrounded by the charming vocals of Elizabeth Harper. Harper is the brainchild of all this catchy music, starting off as a bedroom recording project and maturing with the aid of producer Mark Richardson. Now a three piece, Class Actress have built a solid set of tunes that will pull you in before you even know it. Listening to the songs we can picture folks from the 80's blasting these tunes, but they fit just as well now with the current slew of synth driven bands. It won't be long before Class Actress is paired up with other indie dance bands and touring the country, but for now they remain a New York band, and one that is going to blow up in 2010. You might as well jump on the bandwagon now, 'cause it's gonna get crowded real soon.
Listen: Class Actress - "Careful What You Say"
Class Actress - "Journal Of Ardency"