Much of Ackerman’s new 5 track EP, 1000 Variations of Yourself, is shrouded in echoes. This reaches a spacious pinnacle on the penultimate track “For Everyone You’ll Never Know,” where two-plus minutes of silky reverberation precede the core of the song. Ackerman, which describes itself as an “experimental rock group and multimedia collective,” invests generously in effects-laden transformations of pop sounds. Not to say that the Brooklyn group comes from an otherworldly place—opener “Tiger Traps” brings Animal Collective-esque electronica to the mix, M83 or Grizzly bear style indie rock ambience can be heard in the title track and “I am No Longer Afraid of Coyotes!,” and the closing falsetto and light funk of “Loverboy” holds plenty of pop appeal—but Ackerman’s tendencies toward the dreamy, less expected ends of that world distinguish them in the indie pop realm. Listen to 1000 Variations of Yourself below. – Cameron Carr
