Brad Laner

Listing Brad Laner’s accomplishments over the last 20 years seems like an endless task. Best known for his work in the greatly overlooked shoegazing outfit Medicine, he’s found work in various media, collaborating with everyone from Kid606 and Brian Eno to Sam Roberts and Caribou. Hailed as his "first true solo LP,” Neighbor Singing finds Laner doing what he does best: using his guitar and an armoury of pedals and software to produce vivid psychedelic pop. Much like Caribou’s Andorra, there’s an instant burst of colour that finds him stacking melodies to shape his beautifully bent music. Songs like the California dreamin’ "Out Cold” and elegant ballad "Arlie” guide the album into a comfortable lull. But Laner hasn’t shaken his old habits of exploring uncharted sound, which results in the acidic shoegazer "June Gloom” and the album’s one blemish, the disruptive "Falling Time.” What Laner has achieved here is a milestone for his career and hopefully a vision that will be consistent in its growth.