Ducktails

As Matt Mondanile's Ducktails project becomes less a side-project and more a second full-time gig, it gets less exciting. That sounds harsh, but I don't necessarily mean that his music is bad, just that it's, well, fairly standard; there's nothing that makes The Flower Lane stand out amongst albums by similarly hazy, reverb-heavy guitar pop bands like Wild Nothing, DIIV, and, yes, Mondanile's own primary band, Real Estate. "Timothy Shy" and "Planet Phrom" are nice enough ditties, but unfortunately, it is the guests who provide the highlights here. Cults' Madeline Follin provides the album's most memorable hook on "Sedan Magic," while Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never, Ford & Lopatin) provides the sparkling atmosphere of "Letter of Intent" while Future Shuttle's Jessa Farkas handles vocals. If you've got a unquenchable thirst for reverb-y guitar pop, The Flower Lane is a pleasant album worth a listen, but those looking for something more should probably look elsewhere.