Barsuk

New York’s Yellow Ostrich will likely be one of the breakout indie rock bands of 2012. The group, which started as singer/guitarist Alex Schaaf’s solo project, released their debut, The Mistress, in 2009. Schaaf has since has fleshed out the project with two other players and signed to Barsuk. Yellow Ostrich’s sophomore effort is thus the result of a group rather than an individual, but Schaaf’s voice – literally and figuratively – still carries the songs. The eclectic, hook-laden “Marathon Runner” exemplifies Schaaf’s ability to match poetic, thoughtful lyrics with subtle pop tendencies while “Wear Suits” strips down the instrumentation,allowing emotion to be the music’s driving force. Not all of the songs are so immediate, but all will eventually compel you.