***Raised on a steady diet of Sarah records singles, Slumberland noise pop, and Creation-era shoegaze, Portland's A CERTAIN SMILE work hard to find that balance between the sweet twee, the fuzzy gaze, and punky pop. Their debut LP Fits & Starts walks that balance through 9 fuzzy pop tracks. Opening track "Hold On, Call" takes the sweet pastoral melodies of The Field Mice and marries it with a driving chorus that would fit in the C86 era. "Summer Blonde" evokes a smooth ride on light waves with a haunting melody. Leisure Class marries a catchy pop song with a message in the vein of McCarthy or the Housemartins. And closing track "Mexican Coke" has a nod to Midwestern indie rock and an explosive chorus that will have you humming along even after it’s finished. Housed in screen printed sleeves.
LP $15.50
09/11/2017