JOUSKA – topiary (CD)
Albanys Jouska has been called many things since emerging from up- state New Yorks underground DIY scene last year, most of which have little commonality other than clashing definitions: authentic, angsty, dreamlike, discordant, experimental, somber and uplifting to name a few. One blog even categorized the quartets debut full-length as ghost-rock. Its a curious term, but apropos as the nine tracks on the gorgeous, captivating Topiary transmit as both otherworldly and achingly mysterious. Nevertheless, for all its ethereal qualities, the album is not unclassifiable ... providing you can embrace Topiarys impressive depth and ambition. As evidence, Jouska expertly navigates post-rocks ebbs-and-flows and the dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes of shoegaze while exploring emos earnestness and simultaneously traversing lo-fi bedroom pop thats awash in reverb and a lackadaisical-yet-consoling vocal delivery. *Tiny Engines