Quasi

Add Date: February 23

Artist: Quasi

Album: American Gong

Label: Kill Rock Stars

Genre: Indie Rock

Comments: This album is pretty heartbreaking. Quasi's been tooling around Portland since the early 90s as a project for people involved in probably more famous bands (Sleater Kinney, Stephen Malkmus), but it's always been a reliable little band for serviceable indie rock. So, enter this, their first real album since 2006, and my mind is blown. Suddenly, they're rocking harder than ever before!

Then the second song ends and it's mostly filler from here on out. Granted, not terrible filler, but they're firmly in the generic indie pop territory for the most part. It starts to pick up again near the end with the completely ridiculous "Rockabilly Party," and the psych rock out of "Now What," but at that point you're so worn out from hearing whispery voices and guitar noodling that you just can't really care anymore.

In summary, this would have been so much better as a four-track promotional or something. Sniff, sub.