The third full album from this widely unknown Berkeley band was one of my most anticipated albums coming into the year. Their last album Talking Through Tin Cans was released in 2008 to much critical acclaim, although that failed to translate to anything tangible from a popularity perspective. The reason for their obscurity probably comes down to timing, they've got a sound that's in line with MGMT, Vampire Weekend and their ilk. While those bands are now some of the most popular indie/alternative bands out there (Vampire Weekend's second SNL appearance just capped what was maybe the best episode of the season this past weekend), at the time of their first album release this wasn't a very well recognized or accepted genre. The Morning Benders released their last album just before this new wave of "beach punk" became mainstream. Now that the genre has infiltrated the zeitgeist of modern rock, I fully expect this to be their most successful (sales-wise) album.
Now with all that being said, how does the album stack up musically? Well to be honest, I'm not sure its their best release. The vocals are outstanding as usual, Christopher Chu has one of the best voices in the business. However, I feel as though it gets a little bit caught up itself in parts especially during the songs Pleasure Sighs and Cold War; but there are most definitely some gems on this album as well. The two primary singles Excuses and Promises are definite highlights, and are certainly best played at very high volumes. There are a few other very strong tracks as well, Hand Me Downs has been getting a lot of repetition, and Stitches is my most listened to song on my iPhone right now. All in all this is a very solid release, and given the current state of music this seems like a no brainer home run album.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
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