If you chuckled just now, you have the right sense of humor to enjoy the goofy, low-key songs contained in Make Out the Sound.
Its nine, seemingly off-the-cuff performances are marked by low-to-mid-fi acoustic guitar, tambourine and a general feel of gleeful subversion, making early Mountain Goats and They Might Be Giants equally effective RIYLs.
The lyrics of Im Living in a Former Meth Lab take the title as a starting point, spinning a yarn thats either pointed cultural criticism or a straight-faced joke (or both). Drink Drink Chug Chug is the most twee, charming drinking song youll probably hear this year (at least, until the vomit noises come in). Surprisingly, the semi-title track Lets Make Out is a heartfelt song with beautiful melodies that is not about foolin around.
The Gardes goofiness does lead them into some bizarre places. Closer Lala Skipping Thru the Forest is an audio approximation of just that, while Soda Pop Music is a bizarre song made with a straw and a soda bottle. Alien Radio is nine minutes long, twice as long as any other track. But the quirks are part of the charm, ensuring that Make Out the Sound is a fun, interesting release for fans of unusual pop.
The album is available at thegardes.bandcamp.com. Stephen Carradini
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