GIVERS

Add Date: May 24 

Artist: GIVERS 

Album: In Light 

Label: Glassnote 

Genre: Rock, pop 

Comments: In Light, the debut LP from GIVERS, is one of the most diverse, interesting, and purely joyous pop records that you'll hear in 2011. The Lafayette, La., quartet melds a wide range of influences and styles--pop and folk from all over the globe, psychedelic rock, and more--into a style that at times brings to mind a number of different bands (Dirty Projectors, Islands, Talking Heads and Vampire Weekend, to name a few), yet all the while remains quite distinctive.

The instrumentation is extremely well done, with guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion filled in by Tif Lamson's ukulele and occasional strings, flutes and hand claps from guest musicians; with everything going on, there seems to be something new to discover on each listen, whether it's a guitar jam here or a synth flourish there. Meanwhile, the vocal interplay between Lamson and Taylor Guarisco has been favorably (and accurately, I'll add) compared to Mates of State.

This is an outstanding record, and it's hard to believe that the band hasn't been at it for very long. No tracks unrecommended, but start with "Up Up Up", "Atlantic", "Meantime" and "Ceiling of Plankton".