By Travis PersaudMuseum Mouth's debut album, Tears In My Beer (2010), teetered on the line dividing indie rock and pop punk. But their dual female/male vocal dynamic differentiated them from the likes of Cloud Nothing. On their sophomore album, however, vocalist/bassist Savannah Levin is no longer present, leaving the full-time vocal duties to drummer Karl Kuehn. Kuehn does an admirable job at the task, as the Southport, NC three-piece add greater elements of lo-fi and new wave sounds. The title track presents one of the more upbeat numbers, sounding quite similar to Still Life Still: upfront group vocals, simple hooks and a clap-along-worthy chorus. But for every track like this and "I Was A Teenage Paladin," which merit immediate repeat listening, there are other songs such as "For Mom" and "Bigger Problems," which are bland, monotone and unmemorable. Museum Mouth have essentially started over on Sexy But Not Happy with their revised line-up. And while this album shows promise, it's uneven and unable to build momentum as it progresses. (Independent)
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