Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana

You might think you have the measure of Speedy Ortiz upon hearing Sadie Dupuis sing "I was better off just being dead", but there's something about the Massachusetts band that casts a nebulous veil over their sound. There are obvious traces of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr in songs such as Tiger Tank and Hitch, their grungy, off-kilter tone making for a woozy listening experience. Further absorption reveal dashes of The Breeders (Gary) and an insight into Dupuis's portentously skewed lyrics. The quartet rely on their standard blueprint of odd key changes and ragged riffage a little too keenly on more than one occasion, although a wilting mid-section is given pep by the strident Plough. Still, given their distinct and perhaps limiting sound, it'll be interesting to see where Speedy Ortiz can go from here. facebook.com/speedyortiz
Download: Tiger Tank, Plough