People Like You - Verse (2017)
People Like You - Verse (2017)
MP3 CBR 320kbps | 00:37:30 | 87.26 Mb
Indie Jazz Rock, Math Rock, Emo | Country: USA (Boston) | Label: Topshelf Records
MP3 CBR 320kbps | 00:37:30 | 87.26 Mb
Indie Jazz Rock, Math Rock, Emo | Country: USA (Boston) | Label: Topshelf Records
After several years of making a name for themselves in the small DIY house show circuit in the Northeast, the indie jazz outfit have finished their sophomore album, Verse. Incorporating improvisation, classical guitar, breakbeats, a punk ethos, literary references, and beautiful pop melodies, People Like You has developed a sound that they can truly call their own.
"Since releasing their debut LP in 2016, Boston indie quintet People Like You have undergone a significant sonic transformation. Having previously leaned far more heavily on their emo roots, they embrace a newfound sense of grace and subtlety on their 2017 follow-up, Verse. The toned-down intensity allows a great deal more breathing room for trumpeter Matt Hull, whose nimble dueling with founding guitarist/singer Chris Lee-Rodriguez adds credence to the band's self-credited label of "indie/jazz." Also softening People Like You's aggro edge is incoming keyboardist/vocalist Michi Tassey, whose airy lilting voice takes the lead on the lion's share of Verse's complex yet tuneful tracks. Even with its cascading riffs and stuttering rhythms, the album boasts a spaciousness that works to the band's credit, setting a warm thoughtful tone that unfolds gradually throughout its 11 songs. Pairing a spry math rock approach with elegant pop hooks, opener "You Need a Visa" is an early highlight whose appeal is marred only by the jarring emo man-wail tagged onto its last seven seconds, a throwback to their earlier sound which, given the sophistication they've achieved, now just seems barbarous and unnecessary. The mix of sunniness with slight melancholy that permeates standouts like "Thumbnail" and "Variations on an Aria" much better suits People Like You, who also flash their instrumental chops, stretching out on a trio of improvisational pieces that appear under the heading "Kneeplay." While there are stumbles here and there – lyrical foibles, pacing, transitions, etc. – Verse is the sound of positive growth and evolution from a talented young group." AllMusic Review by Timothy Monger
Drums, Percussion – Sander Bryce
Guitar, Vocals – Chris Lee-Rodriguez
Keyboards, Piano, Vocals – Michi Tassey
Mastered By, Artwork By – Zach Weeks
Producer, Bass – Sai Boddupalli
Recorded By, Engineer, Mixed By – Chris Teti
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Matt Hull (2)
People Like You - Verse (2017)
Track List:
01. You Need a Visa 03:16
02. The Baker 04:39
03 Thumbnail 04:14
04. Variations on an Aria 02:32
05. Kneeplay 7: "Orchid Hunter" 01:43
06. Eulita Terrace 05:44
07. Kneeplay 8: "On rain and how it reminds me of Glass." 01:48
08. Josephine Ave 02:55
09. Hackensack Hospital 03:53
10. Kneeplay 9: "This apple is really depressed (Reprise)." 02:14
11. Sleeptalk 04:27