Oceans Never Listen to Us Anyway

I’m shocked at how much I’m enjoying this Hospitality album. I guess this sort of brainy, immaculate-sounding indie-pop isn’t my thing anymore unless it’s done really well, and this record is just one zinger away from pop perfection. It also helps that Amber Papini has what most people would classify as a divisive voice, which is almost always a plus in my book. I love the way she sings this song in such a relaxed way, stretching out vowels in each verse and letting her voice tiptoe around the melody. The rest of the record (it’s on Spotify now, and officially out tomorrow) is just as charming; it’s nice break from the rest of the stuff I’ve liked in 2012, which tends to be either odd (Neal Morgan’s astounding drums + vocals opus In the Yard) or expansive and futuristic (the amazing Todd Terje EP).