Bagheera - Twelves

Comprised of Heather Dallape and MU330's Ted Moll, St. Louis' Bagheera play fairly standard indie-pop/rock/whatever you want to call it. Their press release parallels them to Mates of State, the Flaming Lips, Rainer Maria, Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, and Grandaddy--all decent comparisons. Asian Man Records has been expanding their roster immensely as of late, adding numerous styles that clash with the label's early "punk & ska" image, but Bagheera is a perfect addition. While Twelves is nowhere close to being breath-taking or spectacular, it's still a worthwhile record. The rich vocal harmonies between Dallape and Moll, the frolicking keyboard play, and the bouncing melodies make the record accesible, charming, and quaint, without catering to any particular group of music fans. As with many Asian Man Records releases Twelves will most likely be overlooked and underrated, destined to have single tracks on the label's compilations in the future. [www.bagheeramusic.com]