Certain Animals hail from a very specific point in musical history. This Dutch band places itself in the early 70s, drawing heavily from Pet Sounds and later Beatles. It's right up front about loving early ELO. The songs are tightly-crafted and even more strictly arranged. The playing is just jangly enough to allow a bit of garage sound (and to convince reCAPTCHA that it wasn't played by robots).

Certain Animals Arts & Crafts (self-released)

Think Zombies without the organ, or maybe the less folky moments of Crosby, Stills & Nash. And, to repeat, "Mr. TV Man"-era ELO. A full-on All Things Must Pass vibe. There are hints of psychedelia, but they're mostly window dressing. Bright-eyed pop is the star here.

I think the band leans into its influences even more here on its second album. These songs sound instantly familiar. After a few bars, I kept wondering where I'd heard each one before. There's nothing stolen, and Certain Animals aren't really aping anyone, either, but this album really nails this sound.

Utterly uncanny. The music creates an instant touchstone, and the energetic performances are totally winning. If you want to know where the indie power pop scene came from, this album gives a full explanation--from the future. The deja vu vibes are wild but satisfying. A real accomplishment.

Jon Worley