“Only Qualms” EP Look Vibrant
5-song set of indie noise-pop and art rock from Montreal-based duo of Justin Lazarus and Matt Murphy. The tracks are playful and poppy, while also being a bit strange with spooky synth effects (in keeping with the season). All lead vocals are sung in falsetto, The selections remind me a bit of the quirkiness and playfulness of Freelance Whales — but with a different sound (and quite a lot more noise and distortion).
— Francis

Recommended: 3, 2, 1. No FCCs

1. (4:45) Clouds — Drunk orchestral swells. Plucked “string” notes on a synthesizer. Falsetto vocals rise and fall in the most melodic of the five tracks. Squiggles and effects are added. **
2. (3:51) Callous Reaction — Careening tempo. Rapid-fire electric bass line. Skittering high hat. Falsetto vocals are WAY up there. Vocals are filtered in the lead break. Plenty of synth effects. ***
3. (3:24) Miracle — A more traditional song structure, with a 1980s synth-pop sensibility — but with plenty of weirdness layered in. Vocals are distorted and filtered. ***
4. (3:40) Born Smart — Slow- to mid-tempo. Bouncy feeling. Harmonized falsetto vocals. Synths add noise and a progression that sounds like a freaky calliope.
5. (4:12) Berry Juice — More folky than freaky. Strumming guitar and sing-along melody. Lead vocals are doubled or tripled, and reminiscent of Bjorn Quenemoen. (An obscure indie CD in our library. Look it up if you haven’t played a “Q” in awhile.) Clever lyrics. Song ends at 2:25, followed by 1:45 of pure modular synthesizer noise as a trail-out.