New York soft-rock quartet Office Culture liken the experience of listening to their new record to “walking into a beloved old bar in a neighborhood where you no longer live,” but it is more comparable (in this reviewer’s opinion” to a comfortable, rainy Sunday night spent at home, away from the clamor of city streets. Throughout their new LP A Life of Crime, clean synths, an easygoing percussive drive, the occasional wailing horn, and singer Winston Cook-Wilson’s laissez-faire vocal delivery congeal to embed the entire record with a relaxed energy, but there’s never a dull moment. From the moody instrumental interplay on tracks like “Diamonds” and “Hard Times in the City,” to the playful bop of “Home on High” and “Parade,” Office Culture lay down a steady groove that will immediately resonate with fans of classic pop rock outfits like Steely Dan or more contemporary fusion-focused groups like Parcels and Whitney. Stream it below, and catch them on November 20th at Elsewhere supporting Wild Nothing. —Connor Beckett McInerney
