Califone Stitches
(Dead Oceans)
Mister mumble and his kitchen sink crew clean up the place a bit on this new Califone LP, the first that Tim has done outside Chicago. The mix is pretty straightforward and the vocals are front and center. This is a tighter album than 2009's meandering All My Friends Are Funeral Singers and that's all for the better. Califone goes places they've seldom gone on this one, and they're all the better for it. Easily their strongest outing since Quicksand/Cradlesnakes. If you're a Califone fan, let's face it, you should already have this. If you're not, it's a great place to start.
Caveman s/t
(Fat Possum)
Strange in name, atrocious artwork does not a bad record make. This one took a bit to sink in, but it's quite a diverse, interesting journey. Synth-fueled jams chock full of reverb, blurry background vocals and creative melody. The first real song on the LP, "In the City" recalls the seriousness of the late seventies, and sells it hard. Songs get stretched out and fade back into the mix, but when the vocals push, it's pretty emotional. "Ankles" is a favorite at the moment, give it some volume. Certainly not a party album, but they can't all be, right?
Water Liars Wyoming
(Fat Possum)
Folk is king right now, it seems, but it's an easy genre to botch. Water Liars' sophomore album does it well, without posing or forcing it on you. Justin's small touch of southern drawl lends some authenticity to the sadder songs. "Backbone" was released as a single a time before the LP, and it's a two sided jekyll and hyde tune that manages to channel Cass McCombs, Jim James and AA Bondy all at once. The album as a whole is a great listen, perfect for the Fall. Nothing too overcomplicated or challenging here, and that's just the way it should be.
