In a lot of ways, 2020 has been a good year for indie music and especially for indie rock. Aside from the fact that bands who could use the income from touring aren’t getting to tour, the releases from said artists have been on another level. One of the bands that’s had a great string of releases is Austin’s The Sour Notes. With multiple seven inch singles released throughout the year, they’ve all lead up to the band’s new full length More Is The Pity. Throughout the eleven song release you get plenty of melody, plenty of depth and more hooks than a tackle box.

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The opening track “The Peak” gets started with the drums popping and snapping before the guitars and the bass come rolling in with plenty of fuzz and melodic notes. The pace here is upbeat with swirls of feedback and hypnotic tone. There’s something magical in how the song feels live yet still well produced. This continues on the more jangled tones of “Shoulda” where the band digs their heels in and comes out the other side with a happy go lucky stride that works so well. Even the Bowie sounds of “Enough” warm your ears as the song hits with precision and swoons you with its soothing sounds.

Where many bands would go for an overproduced sound, The Sour Notes opt for a better mixed deliver while coming off as you’re in the room with them. “Best” offers this jangly guitar and drum sound that gets met with these angelic keys that opens the door to what indie rock can sound like. The pop touches here with softer vocals works on multiple levels. “Camera” digs deep into the edges of an almost cyber punk sound while “Reel” has this twangy touch that is bookmarked by eighties ephemera. But of the eleven songs, the favored came with the title track “More Is The Pity (Rain).” Echoing a dark tone that’s swaying with nineties Brit pop, the song just washes over you with a spaced out sound that pulls at your ears while expanding the band’s sound in the process.

More Is The Pity can be preordered from the band on a limited edition vinyl before its November 06 release. It’s also available to purchase in all digital outlets or to stream on all streaming services. 

Image Credits: Photo Courtesy of Artist.