Toro Y Moi- Underneath the Pine

The first thing that I came to mind when I started listening to Underneath the Pine was a ‘70s prom. With tracks like "Before I’m Done," it’s really hard not to imagine pastel pink dresses and light blue big bow tied polyester suits. Toro Y Moi does a good job combining dream pop, psychedelic, and electronic. Underneath the Pine is filled with soft and beautiful melodies and everything really flows well. The song lengths are perfect for the sound this band is aiming for and nothing seems overdone. Underneath the Pine is a fun and well put together album. This is a definite must for listening this year.

Final Review- 90

The Cave Singers- No Witch

No Witch is a different sounding album. It mixes folk, blues, and bluegrass, with an interesting classic rock style. Pete Quirk has a cool vocal style that sounds gravelly and dirty, but well controlled. I love the mix of finger picking and electric guitar power chords. The Cave Singers don’t bring a lot of new things to the backwoods folk sound but what they do I feel they do well. The instrumental work is fantastic and the overall quality of song writing is pretty good. It wouldn't be heart breaking if you missed out on No Witch, but if it happens to be on why not give it a chance?

Final Review- 70

Adele- 21

When it comes to clever and unique lyrics, Adele’s 21 doesn’t really show you anything you haven’t seen before. What it does bring that most pop music lacks is believability. When you hear Adele’s voice it’s sincere. The closest comparison to how she sounds is a cleaner and more vocally controlled Amy Winehouse. The music is a combination of gospel, disco, and blues that makes you want to move and hum along. 21 is mixed really well, and every song leads you into the next with ease. The only thing that I was not a fan of on 21 was her remake of "Lovesong" off of The Cure’s 1989 release Disintegration. There is a definite future for Adele and I can’t wait to hear her really evolve as a song writer and performer.

Final Review- 90