Crushed Stars

It isn't that Todd Gautreau desperately needs to find something new to do musically, but his Crushed Stars discography is beginning to bleed together in a way that makes it tough to get excited about a new album. That means In The Bright Rain sounds a great deal like 2010's Convalescing in Braille, and while that isn't a bad thing, considering that the latter was a damned fine record, Gautreau is hardly stretching himself. All the Crushed Stars trademarks are here – echoey vocals, dreamy guitars and stark songs drifting along slowly – but it's only when he tries his hand at someone else's music that the mood shifts. The piano-led cover of Epic Soundtracks' "House on the Hill" is a welcome respite from the rest of the album, also demonstrating that Gautreau could inject some colour into his monochrome world, but chooses not to. He really should next time though.