The laid-back indie rock band Hovvdy came out with their newest album Taster (Merdurhaus and Sports Days Records) on April 15, proving again with the new record just how easily slacker rock can toy with emotions.

This (now) four-piece band started out with just Will Taylor and Charlie Martin at first, both of whom were originally drummers, but in recent days they’ve added Sam Jacobson (bass), and Andrew Stevens (drums) and have expanded their sound heavily. With the emphasis on rhythm heard in tracks like “Note” and “Can’t Wait,” Hovvdy sets a tempo that allows the audience to really think about what the band is doing with that nostalgic vibe they are so great at. One unique aspect of this record is the fact that the band has recorded some of these tracks as iPhone voice memos first, which is also how “Problem” and “In My Head” happened from Hovvdy’s initial EP. The compressed sound in the resulting product gives this album a raw and DIY feel that extends deep into the music, and this interesting recording method creates a mood that is fitting for the slacker act’s intimate and personal lyrics.

If you need music to listen to when you’re out on the road lettingyour hair get swept away by the wind, Taster is the perfect soundtrack for that moment, especially standouts “Meg” and “Try Hard”. The album gives you space to reflect on yourself, and it’s hard to avoid the music taking you back through your memories, good and bad, which is the sign of a mature and well-made piece of art.

Listen below, and see if you feel the same way.

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Chandana Kamaraj

Good Talk’s eponymous debut album at first comes across as straightforward, likable, and above all “summery," but a few more listens reveals unordinary layers. Indie-rock business-as-usual soon takes a turn into a languid cover of “Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. That’s right. The musical. Julie Andrews would be turning over in her grave if she weren’t still alive.

Easily drawing comparisons to the Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball, with a splash of Pinegrove, Good Talk never gets too jittery on this record, staying solidly upbeat without sacrificing the summery vibes promised in album opener “Heart Attack.” The sunniest track out of the bunch is (unsurprisingly) “Sunny Ray,” which features a noodly guitar lick that combines with vocals for a Sesame-Street style nonsense syllable sing-along.

Pretty much everyone has a favorite Summer playlist lurking in the depths of their Spotify (possibly called something like “Summer Jams ’16,” or "Summer!!!!” or “Margaritas!" if you’re really cool) but believe us when we say Good Talk’s album is one that (really, honestly, truly) belongs on yours.

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Katy Kirby
(Katy Kirby’s own excellent music can be found here)