The Feelies

There's a lot of suspense surrounding the release of the Feelies' first studio album in two decades, at least among the half-dozen Feelies fans that have been breathlessly awaiting it. So, is it as good as Crazy Rhythms or your other favourite Feelies album? No, but it's okay. Here Before is "mature" in the same way many of these indie rock reunion records are, sounding a bit like the Travelling Wilburys (Glenn Mercer's jumpy vocals have mellowed into a kind of George Harrison coo) and Bob Mould's recent solo output. But it's not all peppy dad rock. "When You Know," with its slackened bass line and layered tape effects, stands out, as do the agreeable lyrical recursions of "On and On." Here Before is a pleasant, if unexciting, summer record; it's the kind of thing you play for your cool uncle at the cottage to bridge the generation gap. But anyone looking for the twitchy rhythms and droning soundscapes of the finer Feelies records are better of revisiting their back catalogue.