One listen to the Few’s self-titled debut and it’s no surprise that the Los Angeles band recorded it with producer Andy LeMaster (Bright Eyes, Azure Ray, Now It’s Overhead). For one thing, guitarist and vocalist Jack Burnside’s voice sounds a lot like Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, and the melodic, catchy, and emotionally powerful music is quite similar to Oberst’s rock outfit, Desaparecidos. This isn’t to say that the Few’s album is derivative — on the contrary, despite similarities to both the Athens, GA, and Omaha, NE, indie scenes, the Few play with a refreshing, straight-ahead groove that manages to successfully cross Burnside’s influences, like Hootenanny-era Replacements and the Cure’s atmosphere. From the buoyant and candid opener, “Blue Eyes,” to the ’80s spacy guitar rock vibe of “Worth” and the vaguely mid-period R.E.M.-ish “The Reason,” The Few is a striking and contagious album that’s worthy of your stereo’s repeat button. – Charles Spano
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