Today's featured shit

The lead singer’s name is “Orly,” which makes me think of “O RLY,” the question that that Internet owl always asks, not to mention getting a 13-chain in Trism. She sings just fine and seems to write thought provoking lyrics. The music has enough pep to keep it all going. This album is as dependable as a Toyota Camry.

“Clumsily Fumbling” has great backing vocals. The whole song is a bit bulky–there’s a ton of instruments going on here–but it generally works fine.

“Stairmaster” has a familiar melody, but I can’t place it right now. Maybe Sing Sing? “It Never Ends” has good guitar and is quite listenable. The rest of the songs all kind of run together, which is a shame, because nothing sounds particularly bad, but with nothing noteworthy, there’s just not much to talk about here.

This was an EP made for me. “Yellow” is the first track and has some decent vocals and backing “heys” and other things, along with an uneven mix of accompaniment. Nothing sounds superfluous, but it does seem as if an instrument, acting as the glue, is missing.

“Red Rover” is a little better and seems to be mixed in a pop fashion, like the innocuous Kelly Clarkson tracks that play in the background in a casino. “In the Night” has a more uptempo beat and reminds me of Kirsty MacColl.

“Dulcinea” sounds like an AM60 track. Maybe Esquimaux can do Old Navy commercials too. “The Lady of Shalott” is a good song but does not stand out in any way. It could have been saved for the full-length.

“When You’re Gone” is the slow track that always seems to end an EP. The lead singer sounds a bit like Jolie Lindholm, although a bit repressed. I’d like to hear Heather Brown Dodge let loose. She could belt one if she wanted to.

This is a solid effort, and I want to hear more.

There are a few nice songs on this compilation. Lisa Cerbone “Scout Meets Boo” has velvety smooth vocals that work smartly with guitar and tambourine. It reminds me of a happier Bettie Serveert or slightly livelier Innocence Mission. This could become one of my favorite songs ever if I remember to listen to it enough. It’s that beautiful.

DJ/rupture has a purple sticker-deserving track with “El Verdugo.” Definitely a good choice if you want some standard electronica. Me Succeeds should appeal to hipsters that like Levi’s commercials with the track “Eine Symphonie des Grauens.”

“Ciao Manhattan (First Draft)” by Miles Benjamin and Anthony Robinson will remind the listener of Echo and the Bunnymen, with a wee bit of Pulp thrown in.

“Repulsion” by Nina Nastasia is your standard farmers market folk song. The rest of the compilation is forgettable, but there is plenty here to keep you busy.