Forms

It's always refreshing when a band comes out of nowhere and blows your socks off. With this, their debut album, the Forms offer a great first entry into the world of smart, forward thinking indie rock. With nods to the music of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Engine Down, the Forms have written a solid record of three-minute pop songs as equally informed by post-punk's boundary breaking as they are by the familiarity of alternative rock. If there is something to complain about with Icarus, it's the scant 18-minute running time, but with their label pulling out all the stops (with a list credits including legendary names like Steve Albini and John Golden and a stunning package design complete with a gratuitous enhanced portion), the length doesn't seem worth taking issue over. Because no matter how short it may be, Icarus is a good ride while it lasts.