Eel Men (UK) & Tu La Llevas (HH)

There’s a certain nostalgia at the core of this band’s sound, harkening back to when indie was a methodology and labels like Matador were standard bearers of guitar pop that stood left of center. The band’s name is even an homage to YO LA TENGO, so the mission statement is pretty clear. There’s a sort of dreaminess to the shimmering guitar and plaintive vocal melodies that really lands, lending depth and substance to what is ultimately a brisk listen. It’s not exactly life-changing, but it will bring a nice breeze to your day. It’s definitely exciting to hear music that calls back to a particularly rich era of indie rock that seems all but forgotten in today’s landscape in which “indie” can fill arenas. This harkens back to something simpler, personal, and expressive.(MRR #499)