Great release from Washington indie-folk lo-fi guru Karl Blau, formerly part of D+ (featuring Beat Happening’s Bret Lunsford), and contributor to the Microphones. The songs that I do like are fantastic, but I must point out that there are a few songs here which really suck, where I just don’t understand what’s going on with them. But for the good songs, expect a lot of sloppy playing, fuzzy basses, funny lyrics, and a lightheartedness that somehow conveys soul. A wonderful recording that has some rockin’ songs, some indie-pop, some sad quiet songs, this album was made for me to get drunk to. 1, 2, 3, 5, 10.

1. mellow indie pop. fuzzy bass, accordion, sweet elfpower vocals.
2. bossa nova rhythms, percussion, melodica. great!
3. catchy pop song, fuzzy bass, strummed acoustic.
4. start-stop drums, hard strummed guitar. wailing vocals.
5. droopy sax duet with quiet percussion. vox + guitar in middle. wonderful end of tremolo strummed banjo + sax melodies. great!
6. upbeat, world sound. guitars, doumbek, percussion, sax bassline.
7. cheesy vocals. bad riff with active bassline. I don’t get this one.
8. piano with whiny voice. out of tune electric guitar solo. not great.
9. minimal playful riff, funny voice. disintegrates playfully.
10. slow swing, overdriven drums. sloppy and great! Fades out at ~3:30, quiet, then song #1 at ~4:20. (circular ending)