[review 2007: odds and ends]

Sometimes you can write entire screeds about an album. And sometimes you can barely write a sentence. For whatever reason, here’s some of the albums this year that had me fresh out of new perspectives.

Brunettes – Structure and Cosmetics. Album #3 from the New Zealand band is less enthusiastic and more mild-mannered than previous outings. While on the one hand this makes them sound a bit more like pastoral pop bands like the ever-so-lovely Essex Green, on the other hand the loss of cute numbers like “Too Big for Gidget” and “The Record Store” is palpable. “If You Were Alien” and “Stereo (Mono Mono)” retain some of the cute, while “Small Town Crew” is a cinematic slice of chamber pop heaven.