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Feb 26, 2016 Issue # 56 - Best of 2015 - Father John Misty and Wolf Alice By Zach Hollwedel

True to form, Quilt's third studio album, Plaza, is a psychedelic jet plane ride back in time to the late '60s. The Boston-born group's sound is hypnotic, a mellow, feel-good experience to be shared with friends in a colorful room adorned with lava lamps, and upon first listen, one might assume the band tours the country in a 1967 VW Bus. Originally comprising of multi-talented musicians Anna Fox Rochinski and Shane Butler on guitars and John Andrews on drums, the group added bass player Kevin Lareau in 2014 for the headlining tour of its sophomore album, Held in Splendor. Lareau rounds out the quartet on Plaza, proving a natural fit. The four write their songs collaboratively and share vocals; the collective approach to making music has resulted in an incredibly cohesive album with 10 tracks that flow naturally from one to the next for 41 minutes.

Ingesting Plaza is an almost unexpectedly rewarding trip. From the opening riff in "Passerby" to the closing bars of "Own Ways," it is a record from another era, one that deepens and expands with each consecutive listen, as it recalls the likes of Jefferson Airplane and even, on occasion, later and trippier Beatles. But for all its reverence of what's come before, the psych-rock album is as much a product of today as it is a throwback to flower power. Plaza is a richly layered, full-bodied record that impressively harnesses four-part harmonies and grade-A songwriting. Listen to the album, let it sink in, play it again, and then puff, puff, pass Plaza on to your friends. (www.quiltband.com)

Author rating: 7/10