Howard Hello

As a member of the resonant indie rock outfit Pinback, Kenseth Thibideau doesn’t leave his creativity to only one vehicle. Along with Marty Anderson (Dilute), Thibideau stretches his zest for melody to new heights with Howard Hello. Don’t Drink His Blood follows an adventurous self-titled debut album with even more wonderment, pushing further towards music that is both sophisticated and simple in its arrangement. With ambience and folk as a backbone, the songs do not stray from a mellow foundation, sounding a lot of the time like an item relaxed enough for a nursery to blare over the speakers. With the foolish name of the band aside, Don’t Drink His Blood is a remarkably inventive album that treats pop melodies with a finesse that is rare in music today.