Release Radar: 05. Feb. 2025

The flood of great records continues! Today we're taking a quick look at the latest from Little Oso, The Davenports, and a remaster/reissue of an indie classic!

Feb 05, 2025

Longtime readers may recall that I reviewed 100 new (to me) records last year. Because ~~I’m a glutton for punishment~~ love music, I’m doing it again this year. This is the latest in the series.

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at the latest from Little Oso, The Davenports, and a reissue of Unrest’s ‘93 classic, Perfect Teeth.

Every year, I celebrate all the great music we’ve been gifted while worrying that next year will see the other shoe drop. I first did that in December 2020 and have been proven wrong every month since. Not only are there a ton of releases steadily coming out, but it also transcends genre, or any other artificial guardrail we try and put up—

In other words, there’s a ton of good stuff coming out, and there’s something for everyone. It’s almost overwhelming— but in all the best ways. Below are another batch that caught my attention recently.

Let’s get into it!

Unrest- Perfect Teeth

Can I offer you a bit of easy-breezy pop in these troubling times?

If you are of an, um, certain age, this record doesn't need much of an intro. I'll save you some time here: The record still sounds fantastic, will take you back to the magical (music) era that was the early 90s, and will make the weight of the world disappear- if only for an hour or so.

For those new to this band and/or title, Perfect Teeth was the final LP from indie legends Unrest. Burning both bright and fast, the band only released three records. This is the final one, and IMO, it's the band at their best.

This is one of those records that a lot of lines ultimately lead back to. Fan of jangle pop? Odds are good that your favorite band has burned through a copy or two of this one. There are angular riffs for days. The pop sensibility also comes through-- not an easy thing to pull off at the time. This is also a record that does a lot with a little. It's a clean sound but not lo-fi. There is plenty of space for the tracks to breathe, but it's not overly airy, nor does it ask you to pay attention to what isn't there. It's an infectious dose of breezy indie pop in all its glorious forms.

In the 90s, music fans got a little bit of everything and more than anything; Perfect Teeth exemplifies that. The album is an exercise in genre-hopping, taking elements of what you like and making something all your own out of them. It's a beautiful alchemy, all beautifully redone here to mark the record's 30th (even the idea of a 30th reissue coming out in year 32 is somehow on brand).

As an aside, this was recorded at Pachyderm Studios just days after Nirvana completed their In Utero LP within the same walls. It was a tough act to follow, but Unrest nailed it.

The reissue is also being bundled with Extra Teeth, a 2nd disc of bonus tracks, singles, and rarities, including their split 7" with Sterolab (I'm telling you, it was a great era! Out march 28th via 4AD (Pre-add/save here) Bandcamp link

Little Oso- How Lucky to Be Somebody

Longtime readers may recall us kicking off 2024 with a review of the band's Happy Songs EP. The Portland, Maine-based quartet has since signed with Repeating Cloud Records and is back with its first full-length record.

I described Happy Songs as "a compact EP stuffed full of catchy hooks and jangly guitar. Berman's vocals are equal parts plaintive and ethereal, floating above a propulsive rhythm." On the follow-up, the band takes those strengths and continues to build on them.

They've got a little more real estate here, and the band uses it to push slightly more toward the ethereal/dream pop side of their sound. Singer Jeanette Berman's vocals shimmer as ever, and the rhythm section of bassist Dana Guth and drummer DJ Nelson shovel coal at just the right pace to keep everything moving right along.

All of these come together best on tracks like “Metaphorical Ohio” (my personal favorite), “Blankets,” and “Other People's Lives.” It’d be easy to draw a sonic straight line to Alvvays, and the similarities are all there, but Little Oso is doing their own thing, and we're all lucky they are. (Bandcamp link)

The Davenports- You Could’ve Just Said That

I must've been absent the day they covered why people should listen to indie folk. Try as I might, it's just never landed with me, and there are scores of artists I tend to clump together in one blob called "The Shins."

This, of course, is neither fair nor objective, but we like what we like, right? So yeah, not the biggest fan of indie folk music, and you won't find a lot of it getting column inches here, but life's better when you say yes. So when this one came across my plate, I decided to give it a whirl…and man, I'm glad I did.

The Davenports are anchored by Scott Klass and supported by a rotating lineup. This is the band's first release in seven years, and much of the record was recorded in Klass's house. Okay, so far, so good.

Right away, it's clear that this isn't an indie folk album—at least not in the manner I was bracing for. The opener, "When Everything's Over" is mellow but has a nice groove that pulls you in almost immediately—think of your favorite, softer Fountains of Wayne song, and you're 90% of the way home. It's worth noting here that Klass also plays in Look Park with Chris Collingwood.

Sometimes, the mood is playful, other times wistful, but the record manages to stay steady through all 10 tracks. Lyrically, Klass writes from a perspective that borders on the terribly real. Everything feels intimate like you're sharing a booth at some corner diner, and he's pulling you in with this story or that.

Bottom line? You Could've Just Said That is a relaxed tour through the stories in Klass' mind. It's a good dose of appealing harmony, light riffs, and relatable stories. (Listen via Qobuz

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these records! Did I get it right, or am I way off the mark?

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