One of my not-so-secret vices is jangly indie-pop with male and female lead vocals. So the Umbrellas instantly lit up my ears. The songs are bright and perky, with just enough 60s reverb to add a lovely golden haze.

The Umbrellas The Umbrellas (Slumberland)

And some of these songs really reach back for that 60s pop sound in their construction as well. But there's a lot of variety on this album, and plenty of these songs have more modern influences (Mekons, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Posies, etc.) as well. The thing is, those influences are more songwriting than performance (although Matt Ferrara does sound a hell of a lot like Tom Greenhalgh at times).

I think I'm overthinking this. Some of these songs sound like the Mekons playing Byrds songs, some of them sound like the Pastels playing Ronnie Spector songs and some of them are just shimmerly jangles. Is that better?

Hope so. What should be obvious is how much my ears drank in this one. Some albums are perfect for late summer evenings. This is one of the best.

Jon Worley