Neato Fleets
Reckless Tounge
Rating: 7.7/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 7, 8, 10
RiYL: Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent, Asobi Seksu, Bon Iver, the Dirty Projectors, The Postal Service
It’s nice to have this album in our possession. This album came by complete surprise to all of us here at Radio UTD and knocked our socks off, and in a year with big-names releasing albums left and right it’s always positive to know that the next good thing around the corner might just be something completely different from what you expected.
Sometimes acoustic and longing, sometimes electronic and filled to the brim with throbbing synth, the songs on Reckless Tongue transition and blend all of these into a cohesive album that flows from track to track very well.
Emotionally this album fits well with the season outside. This is a slow, melancholy, and sadly yearning album that fits well with the fall and winter weather which we unfortunately have very little of here in Texas.
Let me get one of the few negatives I have to say about this album out of the way: its lack of variablity in intensity can make repeated listens boring. It really only becomes a problem when a strong beat is absent, such as in “So Good So Far,” but this means repeated listens or listening when not in the correct mood can become stale and monotonous.
There are many stand-out tracks on this album. “Geometry of Room”, while being one of the most traditionally indie-rock, might just be my favorite track. With some nice vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar layering, this track is simply beautiful and happens to be one of the best winter weather songs I’ve heard all year. I’m definitely going to queue this one on my music player for when I need to walk to class in late November.
“Today Pills” features that drum machine and electronic vibe I mentioned earlier along with some of the most lively vocal presentations you’re going to see throughout the album, while “And In Time” is sad electronic song from start to end. “Don’t Stop Hanging Out” might just remind you of The Postal Service, but in a good way.
All in all this is a wonderful debut that, while not appropriate for all occasions, is nonetheless an album you should listen to if you want some new and odd material in the vein of Asobi Seksu or St. Vincent.