Top Ten Tracks on Elbo.Ws Reviewed in 50 words or Less: May 15th—May 31st

1. *MP3: Grizzly Bear - “Two Weeks”

Under a choppy piano progression and a Carl Wilson-esque vocal, the Brooklyn-based baroque folk-pop quartet attempt to sustain a mood of doo-wop derived, meticulously-arranged melancholy. The only thing keeping “Two Weeks” from classic song status are the instrumental flourishes, which can overwhem the listener at times by suggesting artistic self-consciousness on the part of the songwriters.

Grade: B+

2. *MP3: Jay Reatard - “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me”

Short and sweet, the former Jay Lindsey recalls the bratty blasts of Shelley-influenced (obs. Pete and not Mary) punk-pop with sing-songy aplomb. While I’m not quite Reatarded for this song, “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me“‘s combination of regretful nostalgia and guitar-driven rock make for a satisfactory listen.

Grade: B

3. *MP3: The Radio Dept. - “David”

At first, this single from the Swedish indie-pop group recalls a less arty version of Grizzly Bear (with a piano part similar to “Two Weeks”), which might be good for listeners seeking a less astronomically hyped alternative. But the softly distorted, syncopated skip of the electronic drums recal 90s trip-hop at its cheesiest.

Grade: C+

4. *MP3: Frankmusik - “Confusion Girl” (Don Diablo Loves To Slow Dance remix)

Well, good for Don Diablo for liking to slow dance. But his romantic inclinations, honorable as they may be, don’t change the fact that “Girl” sounds like Peter Gabriel giving himself a middling version of the larger-than-life M83 synth treatment.

Grade: C

5. *MP3: Yacht - “Psychic City”

There’s always room for the sassy girl-speak in popular music (cop the Flying Lizards for an more outre take on it). But at the same time, couldn’t we, as listeners, ask for a more compelling melody to go along with our hypnotic hipster minimalism?

Grade: C-

6. *MP3: Grizzly Bear - “Cheerleader”

By toning down some of their more grandiose orchestral embelishments (or at least waiting until the end of the song before they unleash them), Grizzly Bear demonstrate, with devastating simplicity, the art of the slow, steady song-length crescendo.

Grade: A

7. *MP3: Magnolia Electric Co. - “Josephine”

The title track of the Jason Molina-led country-rock band’s fourth studio album hits all of the standard Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan/Bill Callahan moody troubadour notes. But in spite of smile-worthy songwriting competence, “Josephine” doesn’t quite coalesce into a trancendent whole.

Grade: B-

8. *MP3: Lightning Dust - “I Knew”

Wonderfully simple rock and roll from Black Mountain’s core vocal duo. Sure, that may be a glib assessment, but musical pleasures such as these are meant to be listened to over and over again with great joy. Believe me, I Know.

Grade: A-

9. *MP3: Black Moth Super Rainbow - “Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise”

Thoughts remain unchanged.

Grade: B-

10. *MP3: School of Seven Bells - “Face To Face on High Places” (Jesu Remix)

A hidden gem from the nugazers underrated 2008 effort gets the remix treatment from fellow shoegazer-minded contemporaries. In spacing out the original’s more etheral soundscapes, Jesu make the listener feel as if they are literally floating in time in a particulary potent re-imagining.

Grade: B+

(Jon Graef)