Albums you need to hear now

Netherfriends

“Calling You Out” EP
(Emergency Umbrella Records)
Mostly the one-man effort of Chicagoan Shawn Rosenblatt, Netherfriends delivers entertaining indie pop without falling into the too-cute trap that so many independent projects do. (We’re looking at you and those awful lyrics, Owl City.) “Friends with Lofts” is a smart and hilarious dig at pretentiousness (“I like that new band way before the first hook,” Rosenblatt deadpans) that could make a dynamite late-night sing-along, while “Oh-Hi-Oh” is like a twinkly summer camp ditty driven in circles and dropped off at the Pitchfork Music Fest. “Calling You Out” constantly veers from one jangling, wheezing multi-instrumental showcase to the next, and it wouldn’t hurt for Rosenblatt to pick a song’s direction and stick to it. (There’s nothing shameful in a straightforward pop record.) But I’d be awfully surprised if even your most close-minded, radio-oriented friends couldn’t hear the joy oozing out of this clanging musical funhouse.

Posted Sept. 28 by Matt Pais

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