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Mar 29, 2012 Issue #40 - In the Studio 2012 - Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, and Twin Shadow By Austin Trunick

Last year’s The Mistress was primarily the work of Alex Schaaf; Strange Land sees the Yellow Ostrich moniker expand to a three-piece, bringing on drummer Michael Tapper and multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez as full-timers. Meshing his loop-rich bedroom pop with a live band sound yields uneven results: the thickly layered, self-harmonizing vocal loops are one of the project’s most compelling characteristics, and they’re sometimes lost in the indie pop instrumental trappings that just aren’t as distinctive. When they manage to gel the old style with the new, giving each element equal spotlight (such as in the propulsive rock single “Marathon Runner” or the gradually building “I Want Yr Love”), they make an enticing case for expansion. The inconsistency of Strange Land leads you to believe there are growing pains at play, but the shining moments show where the fuller lineup may be Yellow Ostrich’s necessary and most logical next step. (www.yellowostrich.com)

Author rating: 5/10