Telepathy by Stagbriar

Spashy indie rock–you know, the type with massive, earwormy riffs and airy, harmonized choruses–often tackles dark personal themes through lyrics, but rarely will a band cross the line into introducing musical darkness as well. Columbia, South Carolina’s Stagbriar answers this need with their new record Telepathy, an album which seasons its catchy indie rock sound with a healthy sprinkling of jazz chords, unusual riffs, and distinctive song structures. Sure, we get our typical fare of breakup songs and laments about the annoyingness of other yuppies, but the lyrical content retains the strength necessary to keep this whole thing afloat. The vocal delivery takes the whole thing in an almost dream pop direction, which serves as both a counterpoint and an enhancement of the existing choppy, riffy sound that the guitarists bring to the table. Overall, if you need a fun indie record with some teeth this week, I’d recommend giving this one a try.

- Michael