Summer People
Good Problems (Red Leader)
release: March 2, 2010
similar: Desaparecidos, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Built to Spill
[rating: ****] The eight members of this upstate New York troupe recorded this exciting blues-rock-folk explosion completely live, which was a smart move for their debut. Not that Good Problems is extra raw and gritty. In fact, songs are sharp, promising an equally welcoming concert performance with the right sound system. It never even becomes the mess that's expected, namely when Summer People go from a full-on emo folk rock attack to a soft, guitar-effect driven experiment or a heartfelt downtempo number with more reserved vocals. Some way, somehow, even a nine-minute drone in this album seems to make sense. -Kenyon

www.myspace.com/summerpeople