Singer Matt Quinn’s vocals are the epitome of a mellifluous, double-edged sword on this wavering debut. Literary lyrics and indigo imagery mate elegantly alongside amber intonations and lilting flow, but excessive verbosity makes for clunky songs weighted down by creeping pretention. Quinn qualitatively soars within the group’s stargazing compositional approach, but enduring choruses become sacrificial lambs in favor of the concept that treatises can yield earworms. Ultimately, their obtuse tales spawn tunes that fail to match the quintet’s admirable ambition.
Rating: 6/10
Released By: Dualtone Records
Producer: Jon Gilbert
