The New Year

It’s no secret the Brothers Kadane like to take things slow. In fact, they’ve built an entire career on it, first while fronting mid-’90s slowcore act Bedhead and now as the New Year. It’s no surprise then that these slow-motion tactics continue on the brothers’ latest release, the New Year’s self-titled third album. With crisp, clean production, Matt and Bubba Kadane, and their fellow New Year members put on their best pop act for this one, dropping many of their old post-rock moves for a looser, song-oriented approach. No longer is the focus on quiet-loud dynamics and sonic builds but rather the Kadanes’ picturesque storytelling, with the group pushing the vocals higher in the mix as they calmly lay down a bed of interweaving guitars and moody piano lines. The approach is by no means an about-face but it’s a welcome change of pace, one that shows the New Year expanding on a tried-and-true formula that continues to hit its mark.