Bloom/Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired/Exton Square EP

Bloom - Beach House (Sub Pop, 2012)
I've LIKED Beach House since the release of their 2008 album Devotion (I DO NOT like their self-titled debut, however), but I am IN LOVE with the girl + dude organ/synth/guitar duo's latest, Bloom. Call the band what you will: dream pop, slowcore, shoegaze, whatever. These songs ARE dreamy. They ARE pretty slow (though more upbeat than previous records, but that's not saying much). There IS more of a shoegaze element to this record. But, who cares? These songs are just damn good, and at least three of them are excellent to perfect. Victoria Legrand's vocals are killer, the production is warm and rich, and most importantly, the chords, progressions and melodies all rule. Album closer "Irene" is as close to bad ass as the group will ever get, and, at the moment, "Other People" is tied with The Shins' "Simple Song" for best song of 2012 so far. Just sayin'.


Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired - Joyce Manor (Asian Man, 2012)
Of all the great pop punk records released over the past several months, Joyce Manor's incredibly short (13 minutes!) and sweet Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired should probably be at the top of the heap. Everything I look for in good poppy punk music is there: catchy melodies, tight musicianship, solid production and great songs. What sets Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired apart, though, is the degree of diversity from song to song. There are nice acoustic tracks, songs with drum machine, and even an awesome cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star." Somehow the band makes each different sound work for them. As subtle and brief as it is, Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired is one of the best releases of 2012 yet.


Exton Square EP - Spraynard (Asian Man, 2012)
More well-produced, blatant pop punk from the long running Asian Man Records! Spraynard's Exton Square EP is not all that different from the classic and perhaps embarrassingly lovable albums by Blink-182 and New Found Glory. BUT, screw you if you have a problem with it. There are some good melodies here, and I have been all about new music that brings me back to high school these days. Also, Spraynard is the funniest band name ever. I should have known it was a Tim & Eric reference.