Cousins

Like so many of Halifax's best bands at the moment, Cousins play an off-kilter style of garage rock that's always threatening to collapse in on itself. They also write stellar pop hooks and vocal melodies. Their second album continues to showcase the trio's unique style ― herky-jerky rhythms, rudimentary guitars and plaintive vocals ― while tightening up their performance. Two-and-half of the songs were recorded at Halifax's Echo Chamber with Dave Ewenson, but the rest were a home-taping job. And that's the rub: the band's adherence to a DIY aesthetic ultimately sinks this recording, as the production seriously detracts from the strength of the songs. The liner notes claim the record was mastered at Badness Plates Cassette Mastering, suggesting that this was originally earmarked for a limited cassette tape run, but for whatever reason got bumped to a broader release. Regardless, this is a great record, if you can get past the booming echo that permeates it. Hopefully the band step it up a notch in the studio next time out.