Buffalo

The Phoenix Foundation / Buffalo / Memphis Industries

Natives of New Zealand who formed in 1997. Very poppy album. Most songs have a nice upbeat simple tune, with slightly more embellished instrumental bridges involving multiple layers. The singer has good versatility – pretty standard tenor voice, which takes on the style called upon by the song. The only drag seems to be the predominant reliance on predictable chord structures, without being “pop” enough to give with it a great deal of original catchy hooks. Pleasant outliers include tracks 3, 6 and 8. No FCCs detected. Dreamy/melancholy pop: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10. Super duper uber upbeat pop: 2, 4, 5, 7

1. 5:29 Slow simple beat, synthy dream-like. Beachy guitars, ethereal vocal harmonies.
2. 4:14* Uptempo, evokes rapid images of a sunny day, maybe someone running through a sunny park/city.
3. 3:18* Romantic/love-sick feel, yet upbeat with mix of guitars, glockenspiel. Like a mid tempo alt rock slow-dance.
4. 3:24 Basic melody with dissonant vocal harmonies and clapping layered on top.
5. 4:32 Very standard pop song, some bends give it a bit of a country feel, voice sounds almost like a more polished Bob Dylan.
6. 3:53* Slightly spooky sound, upbeat, with a couple of unconventional chord choices.
7. 3:53 Alternates b/w fun jingle-esque music (w/quick guitar chord changes) and intense instrumental interludes. Made me think despite being unsure about it.
8. 4:06* Vocally strong, finger-picked guitar, steady single drum. Cloudy, cold, reflective day at the beach.
9. 4:02 Indie pop meets 80s pop, with synth & drum kit. Major key verse, minor chorus.
10. 6:12 Metallic strummed guitars, same melody gets more and more layered. Dramatic pop music to say goodbye to, or roll end credits and pan away.
Deniz Cebenoyan