Label: Yellowelectric
7-inch: Water People
Artist: Grouper
Genre: Experimental, Ethereal Pop
While actually recorded in Marfa, Texas, the latest release from Grouper ( AKA Liz Harris ) is pure pacific northwest bleak that demands attention simply by being so quiet and unobtrusive. Both tracks, “Water People” and “Moving Machine”, serve up healthy doses of melancholy even as they manage to avoid being overly dour. The A-side’s simple structure and layered vocals are wonderfully offset by the vigorous bliss offered on the flip. A perfect soundtrack for an early morning spent alone and contemplating one’s next move, this latest bit of aural sex offers compelling reason to set the controls to repeat as by each tracks end you are irretrievably under Grouper’s spell.
Label: Third Side Music
Album: All These Fires
Artist: Huddle
Genre: Indie Pop
Energetic playing and clever song crafting infect this latest release from the Georgian Bay's Huddle. They claim The National, White Denim, and Bowie as influences, and that may be, but thankfully the listener is not treated to tepid renderings of the aforementioned. Tempos may vary but the pop keeps flowing and the ten tracks breeze by unhindered. To this writer, the smart use of horns and keyboards serving as accents rather than distractions indicates that the band has an astute sense of pop arrangement – well done! Do yourself a favor and set some time aside for Huddle…
