Odawas, The Blue Depths. Ethereal and atmospheric with
a hint of twang, Berkeley’s Odawas answer that burning question: what
would happen if Enya and My Morning Jacket got together? Flippancy
aside, the material is fairly solid — if a tad indulgent and
heavy-handed in its gorgeous moodiness — and could just as easily
draw comparisons to Neil Young or M83’s latest. (Jagjaguwar)
Francis Bakin, Conversations with Francis Bakin. This
trio featuring drummer Clementine (no last name) and guitarist Gretchen
Menn — longtime friends who’ve played together in all-female
cover bands AC/DShe and Zepperella — lacks the punch and
accessibility of their other projects, almost by design. Clementine
moved beyond her kit to write and sing this moody, almost hookless rock
album. (self-released)
John Swerdan, Vinyl Wings of Joy. Normally, one would
recoil in horror at any new release touted as “a virtual tour of the
1960s musical landscape.” How many projects have lived and died on just
such a charge? Yet much to his credit, Berkeley artist John Swerdan
turns this hackneyed prompt into a highly enjoyable and impeccably
professional vision of the Beatles-centric ’60s. (Slurry of Sound)
O Lucky Man!, When I Was Young I Would Type Your Name Just
to See It in Front of Me EP. This emo/math-rock hybrid sways
between furiously fast and almost pensive. Guitar notes fly like
shrapnel from a core of crashing cymbals only to momentarily rest in
the comparative calm of earnest lyrics and guitar harmonies, then erupt
again unprovoked. There’s a rare abundance of music in these five
tracks and twelve minutes. (self-released)
