Puberty – “Invitations” b/w “Parties” – Telephone Explosion Records

Susanna Welbourne and Lars Finberg get together with Shins guitar player and other Intelligence related side projects to put out one single, and it sounds exactly like you expect it to. It’s catchy, a little groovy, and fun to listen to.
The single, “Invitations”, is a real head-bobber. The bass drives the song while the wandering surf/shins guitars wobble in and out opposite the vocals and bubble induced keyboards. It’s a little bit of a downer in the way that you want it to be, but it still is poppy enough to continue listening for all four minutes. I’m not sure the bass riff changes a single time during the long side. It sounds not unlike an A-Frames b-side, but it’s pretty clear Finberg didn’t write the song by himself.
The second, aptly titled song, “Parties” is a an outright jam with a woodblock as the primary rhythm section. It’s faster, the drums and guitar and tighter, and it feels less like an opium den and more like an In The Red CD sampler. I like the song a lot, but at the end of the day I feel like this song is just a more digestible Intelligence song with a pretty nice riff overtop of it. “Invitations” really is the standout on this single. Another Finberg project that only lasts one record.

If you’re in a band and putting out a record, put your goddamned name on the record.