First single “Summer Grof” (in the band’s words “a vague tribute to the great comedienne Janeane Garofalo") captures this exuberance perfectly. Jaunty hand-claps give birth to saccharine keyboards and jangly guitars. Add an addictive chorus of “I won’t lie, I won’t lie, I won’t lie, I won’t lie, I won’t lie” and you’ve got a superb indie anthem. It’s a shame that it arrived in October and not July, because “Summer Grof” could truly have ruled the summer.
Since their days as Free Beer, the Spinto Band have made music that is at once outlandish, kinetic, and luminous, and this latest record is no different. Often there are flashes of brilliance (notably “Summer Grof”, “The Carnival”, and album closer “The Black Flag"), but vocalist Nick Krill, keyboard player Sam Hughes, and guitarists Jon Easton and Joey Hobson are so keen on repeating themselves that much of their work, and a lot of this album, often frustrates.
The two opening tracks, “Later On” and “Vivian, Don’t”, offer the same rich, textured guitars, unconventional orchestration, and multiple-part vocal harmonies that made 2006’s Nice and Nicely Done such a critically acclaimed and (comparatively) commercially successful album. The familiar hyperactivity continues through “Pumpkins and Paisley”, an irresistible, relentless, flat-out indie-pop tune that ramps up the keyboards and the “la la las” to become the most morish, adorable song on the album.
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