It might be described as a band, yet the Seattle-based project, really, is all about Toledo, whose wry, self-aware observations are largely carried by waves of fuzzy guitar and drums that reflect his previous lo-fi leanings.
Yet this is no exercise in lazy, hazy garage-rock; Toledo's songs are taut, focused and made all the more sharp by his excellent lyricism, an ear for hooks and, thankfully amid all this potential for mere noise-scapes, a sense of restraint.
• Car Seat Headrest. Teens of Denial. Matador.
• Four stars and a half (out of five)
Single download: Fill In The Blanks
For those who like: Eels, early Beck, Pavement
- Shane Gilchrist
