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Oct 15, 2012 Night Moves By Austin Trunick

Colored Emotions is flush with shimmer and twang. Minneapolis trio Night Moves find a sound somewhere between the freewheeling folk-rock of My Morning Jacket and the glammy psych of MGMT. A little bit country, a little bit spacey; like laser-pistoleros in puffy sleeves and cowboy boots.

This transfusion of trends is best embodied in lead singer John Pelant’s falsetto drawl: breezy, with a laid-back twang. The guitars and percussion are just as languid. Night Moves—similar in spirit to the Bob Seger song, though the band claims no relation with their name—are never in a hurry to be anywhere in particular. “Horses” is the most urgent track on the record, with vocals clawing over each other to the top of the mix, and a hot, reverb-battered guitar lick pushing their pace upward a bit. They blanket some simple chords with swirling synthesizer noise in “Only a Child,” as the high-pitched vocals soar in the background, but it’s the slow-building “Headlights” that gets the most out of Pelant’s voice.

It’s always welcome when they manage to find a way to cut through their relaxed vibe, but it’s not a necessity. The album’s best track, “Colored Emotions,” has a lite-disco-county flavor similar to The Eagles’ chart-topping “One of These Nights;” not quite peppy enough to encourage any dancing, but it’ll get your head bobbing. Colored Emotions is a promising starting point for this young band who will hopefully find more ways to get the boots scootin’ in the future.

(www.nightmoves1.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10