It’s Winter Here is the result of what would happen if Pedro the Lion scrapped their Christian storytelling and if Mogwai sang on more than one song per album. From their delicate vocals that front a mid- to slow-paced guitar flow, the Jim Yoshii Pile Up also feature an array of distortion that thickens their sound without overstepping the boundaries of being heavy. Not necessarily pop, but rather sentimental in that they honestly express their feelings; which, going by the droning guitars that make up a big chuck of this album, are pretty melancholy. As heard on “Breakdown Champion,” “you asked me what’s my greatest fear, well, honey, it’s living here earning $6.50 an hour.” Not very uplifting, but true for any college grad or anyone else stuck in a rut. – Mike DaRonco
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