Like they did on 2023’s Strange Empires, this Portland five-piece combine buoyant, shimmering dreampop with noisier forays into speedy, fermenting indie rock on their second full-length. As before, guitarists Ben Alberts and Rich Millward, glockenspiel/keyboardist Kyla Henry, and drummer Arturo Diaz share vocals, ensuring variety; Grace Petersen, Susan Reilly and Andy Giegerich add sporadic cellos and trumpet. On lighter tracks like “She Got Her Start in Radio,” “Keep You,” and the moving, Henry-sung “Orphans,” you’ll detect Real Estate, The Bats, Moose, and Fake Laugh, while on the brisker side, “Let’s Start a Fire” beckons Wild Nothing, “New Burner” evokes Sebadoh, “One More Kiss” blends The Feelies and Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and “Mistakes” recalls NYC greats Flower. From the crunchy, Mazarin-like “1985” to the leisurely, Foundry Field Recordings-hued “Dahlias,” these feline road warriors entice, again.
Lions of the Interstate: Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube
Braxeling Records: Bandcamp
“Keep You”
