Band: Abe Vigoda
Release: 9/2010
Label: Post Present Medium

1. “Sequins” – B+
2. “Dreams of My Life (Chasing After You)” – B
3. “Throwing Shade” – B
4. “Crush” – B+
5. “November” – B
6. “Pure Violence” – B
7. “Repeating Angel” – C+
8. “To Tears” – B
9. “Beverly Slope” – B
10. “We Have to Mask” – C+

Comments: Ha ha! What funny guys Abe Vigoda are. Well, funny…sort of. They’ve all but ditched their lo-fi “tropical” punk aesthetic for something more…hi-fi and softer.  This record sounds a bit like a Bloc Party record in that it combines traditional post-punk revival tendencies with synth/electro pop. It’s a wimpy showcase that is momentarily fun, but rather stale. I sense they had a hard time parting with their earliest asset: tropicalismo. There are some slight elements of that genre present on this record like on “Pure Violence” in the form of reverb-drenched guitar riffs (a la Real Estate and the like). The band gets all Arcade Fire Suburbs on “To Tears.” I might even have to call this out as “chillwave.” Gross. I guess if you plan on falling asleep in the middle of listening to this then it’s all right.

Grade: B- (83)