Frankie Rose and the Outs

Frankie Rose has one of the most impressive resumes in indie rock, having been a member of Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts and Dum Dum Girls. Like her former collaborators, Rose's sound is based upon AM pop melodies and a thick haze of distortion and reverb. Songs like "That's What People Told Me" and the surf-inflected "Girlfriend Island" sit comfortably alongside her past work, pairing punk-ish arrangements with warm harmonies that sound like they were lifted from a '60s girl group. Despite these similarities, the Outs have a softer touch than Rose's past bands ― opener "Hollow Life" is based on little more than a purring organ and distant vocals, while the Arthur Russell cover, "You Can Make Me Feel Bad," stays true to the stripped-down sweetness of the original. With 11 infectious tracks clocking in at under 30 minutes, this is another excellent entry in Rose's already impressive oeuvre.