Autobus Recs

Austin, Texas foursome Brazos, which initiated as a solo project for frontman Martin Crane, has aptly outdone its two previous EPs – both of which sent the indie rock scene into an excited spasm over what the band would do next. The album centers around a re-imagining of Adrienne Rich’s poem “The Observer” into a dulcet, explorative song that echoes with diminutive layers and sounds as gentle as it does impactful. The rest of the disc, primarily penned by Crane, has similar sonic tendencies: “Day Glo” is a jangly folk song while the piano-driven “We Understand Each Other” is subtly undeniable. “For So Long Now,” the swan song of the ten-track record, is perhaps the album’s best – raw and exposed with a charming melody underneath Crane and his crew’s quietly clashing instruments.