I’ve been listening to the latest New Year quite a bit lately. I like it, and initially, I liked it more than their first release, but not as much as what the Kadane brothers did with Bedhead. But my opinion is changing a bit. My biggest problem with the record is Bubba Kadane’s tendency to slip into the Lou Reed/Stephen Malkmus talk-along style of singing, making a few of the songs sound downright Pavenment-esque. I’m not sure why he slips in and out this — Kadane has a decent voice, and his soft tone really defined what Bedhead was about (along with the chime-y guitars). It’s not enough to really blemish the album, but it’s quite odd nonetheless.

Posted on 3 August 2004