Sic Alps have always managed to maintain a wonderful garage sound, and with their new self-titled album out now on Drag City, they only continue to get stronger. Vocals have more clarity and songs gravitate toward a junkyard Big Star style… producing a satisfying combination of 60's noise and 70's pop-rock. Strings and piano are weaved throughout the tracks adding an extra punch to intros and interludes. Opening number, "Glyphs", opens with violin- and later, mixes both violin and cello with lovely grungy noise, making me wish I had spare change to give to this talented hobo band. (Sorry, They aren't real hobos. They probably live in decent apartments and can afford to shop at Whole Foods.) Most of their songs, past and present, follow a mellow path, so when a track like "Moviehead" plays, I'm always giddy. This happy-go-lucky song has a psychedelic riff paired with a bubblegum beat that could easily fit in with any Nuggets compilation, which isn't the first song they've ever written to do so and I am not complaining. There are slower times on the album, "Lazee Son" sounds just as lazy as the title, but the length of the songs remain short and then it's back on the right track. At times I wonder if they will ever head in a new direction musically, but let's not jinx it and ruin a good thing.
By; Natalie Burris November 3, 2012
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