now here we go
What I liked makes me like what this is. It's like listening to Kool-Aid.
Write a Review 16 Member Reviews
fantastic
love this album. my favorite of 2008. surprised no one has wrote about "Groundswell"...what a track, maybe best of the year.
TMTS GREAT
By far one of the best albums of the year that completely flew under the radar.
comparisons suck
the easiest way to get out of actually having an opinion is to draw parallels and make comparisons. If this is soft Shins then why isn't it poppy dismemberment plan or sombre ABBA. it's gotta end somewhere so why not just say it's a great Throw me the Statue Album, cause it is! lane
Throw me the whip!
To me they kind of sound like an odd mixture of Centro-Matic and late Promise Ring. Aside from the echoing reverb I don't read Shins in this at all - unless this ends up on a Zach Braff playlist. You've gotta love the reference to Raiders of the Lost Ark, regardless.
Wilco at a candy shop
No direct comparison to Wilco, except on a few tracks and a bit more buttery. They distinctively have their own sound with remnants of Shins, Mountain Goats... and I am reluctant to even make comparisons, as I don't want to undermine their artistic merit. This is just plain good for good sake! Song for Song, insanely pleasant.
An under achieving Shins record
Let me start by saying I really like a few tracks (Lolita, About to Walk, Your Girlfriend's Car, and This Is How..) but as a whole album you can pass. Get the EP 2 out 3 songs are excellent and this record sort of fizzles out after a few tracks. When this band is on, as in Lolita, they have a very Shins quality to me (upbeat Shins songs) that is really fun to hear but misses big time when it misses...(a few months later)...this is a great record. I highly recommend. Songs that didn't catch my ear on first listen have come to be some gems on my ipod.
This Album Makes Me Happy
Starting with "Young Sensualist" and moving on to "Lolita" the album moves wonderfully throughout. The title track "Moonbeams" is one of the strongest tracks on the whole album-BUY THIS WHOLE ALBUM!
synth fuzz gooey goodness
sequence: fell in love with 'about to walk'. bought the album and squatted on it for a while. now that it's june it's been a perfect time to revisit. love it. the words 'summer' + 'synth-driven-pop' fit nicely here. it's a light hearted record with non-predictable vocal patterns and interesting enough programming to keep you listening without being distracting. recommended tracks: 2,6,7 - favorite track thus far: (7) yucatan gold.
Exciting Whimsical Fun
All of the other reviewers are correct. The album is full of unique musical sound while maintaining a level of kid like innocence. It is a great summer album. Just listen to Lolita and About to Walk, if you like those two, you should definetely think about getting the whole album.
