Blogcritics Author: The Theory

R.I.P. Madeleine L'Engle

The Theory — Sat, 8 Sep 2007 00:05:35 EDT

Thank you for the great stories that transported us into your world.
To call Madeleine L'Engle my favorite author might be overstating things a bit. But not so much as to consider the statement untrue. It was only last year that I truly grasped the grandeur of her writing. Yet in that year I read almost every novel the woman wrote, and gave a speech about her in my speech class, while also writing a paper on her...

Music Review: Thomas Torrey - This Slight Momentary Affliction

The Theory — Sat, 1 Sep 2007 12:25:11 EDT

A stand-out offering in praise and worship.
Few genres are as limited as praise and worship. Praise and worship is a sub-genre of contemporary Christian music and let me tell you right now, will generally not be of any interest to anyone who does not share the faith. Praise and worship has not only the lyrical restrictions (after all, it is being sung directly to Jesus) but it also needs to...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music DVD Review: Phil Keaggy - Philly Live!

The Theory — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:48:02 EDT

I suppose you could call me a critic. I consume things, be it music, video, or literature, and many other things besides, and then write my rather biased opinion on them. Not only do I write the opinions, but I have the gall to actually put them on the internet for people to read. I, dare I say so myself, have very good opinions so this all works out very well. Unfortunately, there is a downside. Fewer things are really, truly impressing me over time. Even fewer are really giving me that feeling of childlike innocence that transports me from the here and now and into timeless sphere of no worries or regrets.Yet the reason I am writing this review, three years after its release, is that Phil Keaggy in a live setting does that for me. He removes me from myself. Wraps me up completely in his universe for the duration of his set and makes me feel like life will be just fine after all. He doesn’t achieve the same effect on CD. Keaggy has released some very good albums (see Acoustic Sketches for an example), but they don’t have the otherworldly aura that his jaw dropping live show incites.I have had the extreme pleasure of seeing him live five times. Nothing can touch it. His ease and grace while doing something completely impossible with an acoustic guitar is unmatched by anyone. He is certainly no slouch on the electric guitar, either, and can tear it up with the best of them. But it is the acoustic where Keaggy’s innovation and individuality comes out. Never is it as apparent as during a live show. Philly Live! is the next best thing to actually being in the crowd at a Phil Keaggy concert. It has some upsides that make it appealing, but a few negative aspects as well. The biggest upside is the how most of the angles are close and comfy. You’re not buried half way back in a crowd, trying to make sense of what he is doing with the guitar. With the close shots of the DVD you can see what Keaggy is doing to produce the sounds. You can see early on how he uses a looping software to layer riffs to create complex and intricate patterns. Whereas the first time I saw him live I didn’t realize until halfway through the concert that not all of the noises were being created on the spot.There are two big downsides. The first is spontaneity factor. Each concert Keaggy does is different because of the improvising he does. Particularly during his signature live songs, when he branches off into crazy instrumental jams, it is spontaneous and never repeated the same way twice. So while the DVD captures various versions of these jams, repeated viewings may fool the viewer into thinking that those are always the way Keaggy performs the song. The second downside is that the DVD cuts out most of the between song banter. I wouldn’t have guessed before I actually saw him live, but Keaggy is a very funny person. If he spoke as much as he played guitar there would be as much laughing as jaw dropping. His on-stage demeanor is easy and comfortable. Couple that with self-deprecation and friendliness and you have a recipe for some pretty amusing things. Unfortunately, it gets cut, other than a random throwaway comment here or there.The funniest things end up being that which happen during songs and can’t get cut. Phil Keaggy’s comfort with himself and his talent allows him to not be perfect. Rather than hide it he’ll point it out and allow the audience to have a chuckle. The best example is when in the first chorus of a song he scooped awkwardly to try and hit a note. Keaggy stopped and commented on how the song was a lot higher than he remembered it. He said a couple of really funny things which I’m not going to try and paraphrase here. Keaggy looked at his guitar, said “Ah!” and adjusted his capo to a different fret. He then restarted the song and was fine. There are other little things similar to that, the sort of mistakes that other artists might do but wouldn’t be able to gracefully make light of the situation. This DVD is an excellent addition to any guitar enthusiast’s collection. If you’re not sure from my description, go to youtube and plug in “Phil Keaggy” and either “Salvation Army Band,” “John The Revelator,” or “True Believers” as your keywords and see for yourself. For me personally, even on repeated viewings, this DVD never fails to distance me from time and space, putting me in a world where it is just Phil Keaggy and myself without any worries or fears of life getting in the way.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Theory — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:44:57 EDT

Movie adaptations tend to share a weird relationship with the books they spring from. Most movies don't live up to whatever hype the book created (The Chronicles of Narnia or The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, for example) and others are better (Jackie Brown, Adaptation, Howl's Moving Castle). Yet there always seems to exist some tension and animosity between the two mediums. Most of this tension can be attributed to fear from the fans of the book. Even little changes to plot or character will cause an uproar. Fans don't like to think that the script writer or filmmaker were showing up their beloved author in any way. Then there are the fears that the movie will suck and people who see the movie will judge the book the same way. Perhaps even greater than that are the fears that people will love the movie and become "Johnny-come-lately" fans. For example, take Pirates of the Caribbean. There was a small group of people who really loved and enjoyed pirates before the Disney movie. Then all of a sudden everyone loves pirates and the market gets flooded with cheap, gimmicky paraphernalia.Oddly enough, movies one through four of the Harry Potter series are rather harmonious with the books. Sure, there are changes in all of them, but the greatest crimes the movies commit is the act of omission. Since the books are rather long and detailed it would be impossible to include everything, so fans have been happy with what the screen has offered them so far.Being a pretty big fan of the Harry Potter books, I bought my midnight showing tickets of the Order of the Phoenix weeks ago. I hopped on eBay and purchased the two coolest-looking shirts I could find, boosting my Harry Potter shirt collection to two. One was of Lord Voldemort, the other of the Death Eaters. Now, I am no fan of the dark side but several things influenced my decision. These two shirts were rare promo shirts, decreasing the likelihood that anyone else would wear either of them. Also, they just looked really awesome. The designs were a lot more artistic than the usual, boring photograph plastered on a shirt. In my showing there were only a handful of people seriously dressed up, but regardless the atmosphere was quite festive. The crowd was healthy in over-excited high school and middle school aged girls who were constantly trying to start chants of "I say Harry, you say Potter" and trying to get the wave going. Thankfully they desisted once the movie actually started. Their presence could still be felt whenever Harry and Cho interacted or when Ron and Hermione looked at each other. The novel is chock full of essential details and many subplots that make it a lot harder to translate into film than the prior books. As a result the movie is very streamlined, much more so than the prior movies. If I had not read the books I would have had a lot less things to keep track of. Yet it didn't seem like they did a good job of explaining what plot there was. I would need to talk to someone who hadn't read the book to see how they were able to follow it, though, to know for sure. For those of us who have read the books, the streamlining meant that all of the fun subplots are gone. This is the first Harry Potter movie without any quidditch. You had better forget about any re-appearance of Rita Skeeter, despite the great role she plays in the book. There is no meeting of Neville in the hospital over the holidays. Not even a traitorous Percy Weasley gets any mention beyond a brief cameo. None of the other Harry Potter movies so effectively drained out anything not having to do with the main thrust of the film.So what is the main storyline? It is Harry and Dumbledore's struggle against the Ministry of Magic. That is what drives all of the action from the desperate hiding of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's court hearing to the appointment of Umbridge, a Ministry representative, at Hogwarts. This dominoes into the need for the formation of Dumbledore's Army. Practically the only thing not put into play by the Ministry of Magic is the climax of the film where Voldemort and the Death Eaters trap Harry and his friends. Despite the numerous flaws, the movie still manages to engage the watcher. A lot of it is simply the joy of seeing the characters on the screen again. More specifically, while the budding relationship between Harry and Cho seems hastily constructed, their resulting fall from each other's grace is much more interesting than in the book. Then the standoff between Dumbledore and Voldemort is stunning and exciting in a way that only the visual format can portray. Several new characters are introduced this time around. Luna Lovegood is a spacey girl who believes in a lot of weird things. Many of the students call her Loony Lovegood. She has a strong character that is really appealing. She is slow, deliberate, and is completely comfortable with who she is and how others perceive her. On the other hand there is Delores Umbridge, a Ministry Representative who is trying to stifle rumors that Voldemort is back. She tries to act like a caring, matronly figure but it doesn't take students too long to realize that she is utterly useless as a teacher and pretty nasty to boot. The Slytherins are about the only ones who get along with her.In the end Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix feels more like an appetizer for the release of the final book next week, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is exciting and sates our appetite for the time being. However, this is the first Harry Potter movie to really cause some tension between it and the book. Yet it is still worth seeing for fans still interested in the series and hopefully the next movie will not feel so constricted.

Brewpub Review: Union Barrel Works in Reamstown, Pennsylvania

The Theory — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:27:48 EDT

When you think about Central Pennsylvania a couple of things might come to mind. Most likely would be the Amish, as Lancaster County has one of the largest communities of the plain folk, not to mention being the conceptual location of such movies as Witness (Harrison Ford) and For Richer Or Poorer (Tim Allen). Another thought that might arise would be the tragic Amish school shooting that made headlines around the globe.What doesn't come to mind is beer. Not only is the area rather conservative, but the Pennsylvania liquor laws are ridiculously archaic. Take, for example, the case law. You have to buy beer in cases. The state beer distributors can't sell six-packs. No one quite knows why this is, but somehow it twists around to the thought that perhaps six-packs lead to drunken driving and underage drinking. The logic is silly and forces honest but poor citizens like myself to shell out big bucks for a case. Thankfully there is a loophole in the case law that allows restaurants to sell six-packs, although it tends to be a limited selection. Yet it is in this atmosphere that brewpubs are thriving. Brewpubs are microbreweries that distribute their beer in their own pub. Some of the breweries also bottle, but it isn't uncommon for the beers to be only available in the pub. In either case, the result is a beer that feels crafted and not mass produced like the major beers.Union Barrel Works, which is headed by former Stoudt's brewer Tom Rupp, just opened several months ago in Reamstown. I had been keeping tabs on the place, always curious about a new brewpub. I was disappointed, however, to find out that Rupp doesn't like hops and has a fondness for lagers. My favorite style of beer tends to be the IPA, a style known for lots of hops. I also try to avoid lagers, perhaps thanks to the local worship of Yuengling's mediocre lager (there is no other beer that you will find on tap at every regular bar in central/eastern Pennsylvania).Last night I made the trip to Union Barrel Works with several hopes. I wanted to see if a brewer with a passion for lagers could make a lager interesting. I also wanted to see if there was going to be anything hoppy to make me happy. It was also going to be my first trip to a brewpub that was so new. Union Barrel Works has seven beers, all on tap. There is the Pale Ale, Kolsch, Wobbly Bob Dopplebock, Hefeweizen, Lager, Mai-Bock, and Round Boy Stout. The menu has standard bar food, like burgers and fries, as well as more expensive offerings. They also have Pennsylvania wines available.There is one room for the bar and one room for dining. The dining room is rectangular and spacious. For their current space needs it works well. Should they need to, more tables could be moved in without making it feel too tight. There are quilts on the wall, which may be a bit unusual for a brewpub, but isn’t too out of place given the importance of quilting in Pennsylvania Dutch history. Overall it is a very clean looking room. Not a lot of decoration, especially when compared with Stoudt’s, which is ridiculously cluttered (they don't believe in empty wall space.) The bar area is also clean, but less rectangular and spacious. The one corner is made up of windows that look into the actual brewery, a nice touch. There is a television mounted behind the bar angled such that it was visible to most of the room, yet also out of the way enough to not be distracting for those who aren't interested.There is a piano in one of the nooks in between the bar and the dining room. During most of the evening there was a piano player there for live music. It is set up so that both areas can hear it, but (like the television) it isn’t distracting. When he wasn’t playing the piano there wasn’t any recorded music blaring from any speakers. In fact, I didn’t see any speakers mounted anywhere. Even the television’s volume was off, so that wasn’t audible. The lack of recorded music creates a more relaxed atmosphere than most bars.Now, on to the beers themselves. I got the sampler tray because there was no way I was drinking seven pints. (Some beer enthusiasts would argue that you can’t really know a beer from a two-ounce sample because the way in which the pint evolves on its journey from freshly served to room temperature can be crucial to the personality of the beer. Which I would tend to agree with. But, like I said, I wasn’t going to drink seven pints in one evening.) The lager actually was decent. I would like to try an entire pint sometime, however, from the sample it seemed to have good presence. It didn't convert me into a lager fan, but it was more interesting than most lagers I have tried. The pale ale was the one beer I tried an entire pint of in addition to the sampler. In comparison to hoppy beers it seems kind of weak. When tried after the other beers it seems rather bold thanks to the obvious lack of hops in the other Union Barrel Works beers. It was enjoyable if not entirely impressive.It was the Round Boy Stout which ended up being the most interesting beer in their lineup. Now, when it comes to stouts I tend to find that I am not a big fan. They tend to feel thin and flat in my mouth. I have discovered a few that I can really enjoy, including the locally brewed Milk Stout from Lancaster Brewing Company. The Round Boy is not likely to enter my list of good beers. However, it is the most distinctive thing right now at Union Barrel Works. The guys in my group seemed divided on the beer -- half rather enjoyed it, the other half felt it was kind of funky. It has a taste that has some coffee touches, which isn't all that unusual. What is rather unusual is the aftertaste. It is head scratching and tough to put a finger on what is odd about it. It is the sole beer in Union Barrel Works' lineup that seems to take a chance and, whether or not it is accepted by the patrons of the pub, is distinctive for that very reason.Union Barrel Works does a lot of things correctly. They provide a great atmosphere and nice dining. The great problem is that, with the exception of the stout, none of the beers seemed to stand up and say, “I am BEER!” By playing it safe they come off as kind of bland and uninteresting. Despite the disappointing nature of the beers I still had a fantastic time at the brewpub and would encourage people check it out.

Music Review: Neon Horse - Neon Horse

The Theory — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:50:44 EDT

Christian rock has been much maligned in the mainstream press. While the faithful like to think this is due to some conspiracy to repress the religious, the plain and simple fact is that the visible Christian rock out there has -- up until recently -- been pretty mediocre. If a quality product is produced, it wouldn't matter if the creator was a Christian. Just ask Sufjan Stevens or The Danielson Famile. Heck, ask U2.In the 90s however, the story was a bit different. By that time, evangelical Christian leaders had completely brainwashed the Christian community into thinking that there needed to be a separate industry for Christian music -- one based on beliefs and lyrical content, rather than musical style. The niche market meant that you didn't really have to be good to become popular, as long as your lyrics and heart were in the right place. It also meant that if you weren't deemed as marketable by the bigwigs, you were doomed to obscurity. The mainstream wasn't an option because the youth pastors said it wasn't. But the Christian market simply wasn't interested in anything musically challenging or unproven.The mainstream kept on hearing what the Christian market saw as good: Michael W. Smith, the Newsboys, dc Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, and so on and so forth. It is understandable that they not only threw out the baby with the bathwater, but the whole tub as well. Yet there was a whole underground movement of Christian music that went unnoticed by both fans of pop Christian music, and the mainstream.Tooth and Nail Records, despite their poor reputation and many questionable releases, did the most for quality underground Christian music. They signed and released The Danielson Famile's first four albums -- as well as other notables like Royal; Roadside Monument; Pep Squad; Pedro The Lion; and Stavesacre. They also continue to release all of Starflyer 59's albums.And now we have Neon Horse. They're a so-called mystery super group. We're not supposed to know who the members are. As gimmicky as it sounds, Neon Horse actually released an album worthy of being listened to.There is something about the album that feels quite off-kilter that I can't quite place my finger on. However, the objective critic in me has to say that it is fairly straight forward rock. It throws back, to a certain extent, to a different era. At the same time it sounds very modern and a product of today. When I say "throw back," comparisons immediately leap to mind of the so-called garage rock revival started by The Strokes, The Vines, etc. Neon Horse doesn't sound like any of them. This is probably because they also mix in some great Queens of the Stone Age style stoner rock. While the official standpoint of the band and Tooth and Nail Records is that we don't know who the band members are, it didn't take too long for things to come out. "Cuckoo!" was the first song they put on their MySpace page. Any Stavesacre fan would recognize Mark Salomon doing half of the vocal duties. His voice is just too distinctive to keep hidden from anyone who has heard it before. In this context, however, Salomon sounds theatrical and freer than he ever sounded with Stavesacre. Also likely, although not as easy to confirm, is Jason Martin from Starflyer 59 on guitars. His style of playing is pretty distinctive and people often refer to his stoner rock influences. But beyond that, I have yet to hear any compelling evidence of the identities of any other members. No one even knows for sure how many people make up Neon Horse. My pseudo-professional opinion is three to five core members with other people contributing as wanted or needed.This album is a must-have for Starflyer 59 or Stavesacre fans, even though the net effect of hearing Neon Horse comes across as quite different from either band. However, even those without prior knowledge of Starflyer or Stavesacre can enjoy the album simply on the strength of the songs presented.But the question remains: Just who are these guys?

Music Review: mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister

The Theory — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 09:12:52 EDT

Bands grow and change. Sometimes it is a wild, unpredictable leap (Exhibit A: Sufjan Stevens’ A Sun Came to Enjoy Your Rabbit), sometimes it is barely discernable (Exhibit B: Switchfoot’s The Beautiful Letdown to Nothing Is Sound), but most frequent it is the gradual change (Exhibit C: Starflyer 59’s Leave Here A Stranger to Old), which allows a band to be themselves while expanding their horizons to something new and exciting. None of the sequences are free from criticism. Any of them can be spun by a dissatisfied listener into nothing more than trying to make a lot of money and sacrificing their integrity to do so. For example, see if any of these phrases ring a bell, “They’re genre-hopping to try and cash in on that new fad,” or “They’re playing it safe to avoid upsetting their current fan base.” Usually, a band will only hear one of those with any given release. mewithoutYou, however, has left themselves open to be criticized both ways with this album.They still sound like mewithoutYou without any doubt. Yet Brother, Sister is a vast sonic and compositional departure from Catch For Us The Foxes that it will take some listeners aback. Each listener’s reaction will depend entirely on what they focus on with mewithoutYou. Those who focus on Aaron Weiss’ vocals will not find this album to be too far separated from the mewithoutYou of old. He still half mumbles, half shrieks his way through the songs, making the lyrics feel like something out of a poetry reading at an underground café. Weiss’ vocals seem to be tinted with an element of weariness this time around. Thus, the album feels darker than most of mewithoutYou’s songs.Despite the general similarity of Aaron Weiss’ singing, there is one area in the vocal department which makes “Brother, Sister” a major change over past works. There is quite a bit of background singing which really makes the album feel rich. They add a nice contrast to Weiss’ constant meanderings and provide a vocal anchor for the listener. While the singing isn’t quite choral in its composition, it has that similar feeling of epic beauty. It’s the background singing that pulled me right into track one, “Messes Of Men,” and didn’t let go the rest of the album.Everything else about the music, guitars, drums, and a wide array of other instruments, is where this album takes off. The overall texture they paint is that of a much more organic sounding band. Aaron Weiss plays acoustic guitar on some tracks; on others he plays an accordion-like instrument. Then there are the guest spots of a harp player and rain. Anathallo lends themselves for horns and background vocals. It all blends into the “traditional” sound of the band while creating a fuller, more varied listen.What mewithoutYou has done is craft not only a career defining masterpiece, but an album that could very well join the scene hipsters, the anti-folk crowd, the post-punk Fugazi faithful, poetry slam attendees, and emo self-depreciators all in one careless sweep.

CD REVIEW: Goldrush- Ozona

The Theory — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:44:41 EDT

In the past half hour I've lost over $350 in poker. Not real money, thank God. That is why computers are so lovely. It's got all of the excitement and sweat of real poker without the annoying burden of actually breaking the bank. Goldrush is poker playing music. They have a weird mix of sound that could allow them to share a concert bill with My Morning Jacket and The Violet Burning. The music has that fried, southern indie rock feel to it with the emotional connection of a band like The Violet Burning.You can fire a pistol randomly at an indie rock festival and chances are you would hit a band that has a southern or country influence. Yet, while most of those bands are, at best, holding a high pair in their hand, Goldrush is sitting easy with the musical equivalent of a flush. In 5 card draw a flush is quite a find. Even in Texas Hold'em, an easier version of poker, a flush is still a 95% guaranteed win.Goldrush is one of those rare bands who you hardly notice what genre they are playing. (Which is good because I tend to not be very fond of southern indie rock.) You get too distracted by everything they do right. They play their instruments without flaw. The songs are composed with the best of them. Unexpected things happen in the song without it being distracting. Their vocalist isn't too pretty when he sings, nor too rough, nor does he try to be anything he's not. Heck, he even knows how to infuse the proper emotion into a song without becoming too sappy. His voice actually reminded me of Jeff Tweedy, which really gels into the music well. And best of all, there isn't a lousy song in the bunch. Even their slower, ballads are exciting, and that's saying a lot.I highly recommend this album. They are so much better than anyone else that I've heard in their genre it's not even funny.

Giles: Giles

The Theory — Tue, 9 Aug 2005 20:59:49 EDT

Giles is the brainchild of Tommy Rogers Jr., who is best known for his work with Between The Buried And Me. Only instead of crunchy metalcore we are treated to his own brand of hard hitting electronica. The effect of the music, while obviously electronic, is more hip-hop in feel. The beats are hard, driving, and repetitive while the lyrics are delivered in an almost monotone partly sung, partly rasped, partly spoken word. It's more of a dirty club dance album, but treads a fine line. This inability to completely pigeon-hole "Giles" into one neat, tidy genre is what really propels this cd into interesting territory. Unlike some albums which try to mix two genres with sub par results, this album succeeds in the fusion because it doesn't FEEL like it's trying to do anything more than make music that feels natural.Lyrically nothing important is getting said. Rogers seems to almost acknowledge this and scatters as many swear words into the songs as possible. Mindless songs suddenly become a swear word parade as Rogers throws out as much disrespect as possible. This makes the album impossible to play at a family gathering.The album starts off pretty interesting but, despite it's short duration, starts to sound the same mid-way through. The same tricks are used frequently, and while it is very listenable, "Giles" would work much better as an intentional EP, instead of tightrope walking the line between a full length and EP. The music would still be fun to hear at a club with strobe lights and glow sticks, so don't be too surprised if Giles ends up on some major movie soundtracks, particularly high octane ones like Matrix or xXx rip-offs. Listen to the album before buying. What you hear is what you get.

Des Ark: Loose Lips Sink Ships

The Theory — Tue, 9 Aug 2005 20:56:07 EDT

Having them ("them" being the label and promoters) try and pass "Loose Lips Sink Ships" off as a full length is like going to the deli and weighing the two pound potato salad container, only to find its 1.87lbs. Des Ark's new CD plays more like a good, healthy EP. Yet I'll bet with the company pronouncing this a full length album there could very well be a difference at the cash register.Des Ark is rock meets country-without the bother of feeling like you are listening to a country album. Indeed, this is indie rock at its sexiest, propelled by Aimee Argote's amazing and luring voice. She can croon and shout and make you believe every word she utters. It is best when she seems on the brink of breaking into a raging rant with just the music keeping her in check. This is best displayed on "No More Fighting Cats, Ok?" when she sneers, "He does it every night and the women find a way to make it all seem all right." Her disgust comes through loud and clear, without distracting from the music.The songs seem more complex than they really are. They are fairly straightforward, yet executed with skill and fervor that they don't get boring or tedious. This album is a must, despite its short play-time, for fans of bands like The New Pornographers or a rockier, emo-less Pedro the Lion.