Exhaustingly optimistic

Hailing out of Montreal, the Sam Roberts Band experimented with self-discovery and used it as the anchor for their most recent LP. There are catchy riffs exuding out of guitars that will be hypnotic to many listeners. It isn‰’t anything too out of the ordinary, and many of the tracks sound very similar (the album probably could have been half the size.) The vocals and instrumentation in songs such as “Metal Skin‰” and “Chasing the Light‰” work well together, with certain elements from house and electronic genres. It will appeal to fans of male-fronted, indie pop bands, and is great for nice, sunny car rides, on winding roads, where you‰’re trying to clear your mind. However, for those of us who are brooding twenty-something-year-olds, you will undoubtedly dislike this album. There isn‰’t any emotional context that moves beyond the surface.

RIYL: Portugal. The Man, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Kooks
Recommended Tracks: 1, 4, 5, 10