The Joggers - Solid Guild

The Joggers should definitely be getting a lot more attention than they are. Maybe the lack of attention is because they are from Portland and not from New York City or other hot spot or maybe its because they're on a label I had previously never heard of. Solid Guild, their debut release on Startime International, even scored a high 8.0 with Pitchfork Media, yet bands like The French Kicks, The Walkmen, and Hot Hot Heat are still getting mega-attention while The Joggers do it just as good or, in some cases, even better. Solid Guild starts off with the atmospheric "Loosen Up", a beautiful opener with intertwined guitars and vocal harmonies. After that, the band gets to work on what it seems to do best: quirky, loose, complex, fun pop. "Back To The Future" even has a bridge with 4-part harmonies, something I haven't heard in a while. Their songs are the perfect length and they're very catchy and listenable, but the arrangements are a lot more complex with a closer listen. "Hot Autism" doesn't even hit the 3 minute mark but it's so complex with the arrangment that it feels a lot longer. "I'm Not Convinced" will have you swearing you're listening to The Walkmen, and that's a good thing. If you're sick of that damn "Bandages" song but you still want something that comes close to that really quirky crazy pop rock sound, definitely give this one a listen. Every song The Joggers have is pretty distinguishable from the others, which will give you a full disc thats enjoyable the whole way through. [www.thejoggers.com]