The Fresh & Onlys

The Fresh & Onlys' new EP, Soothsayer, continues where last year's Long Slow Dance left off: a new direction for the band that falls more in the category of dream pop than their previous work. Fuzzy, lo-fi garage rock is no longer prevalent, while the production values on the new tracks are clean and rich. Somewhere in the process, however, they sacrificed the spontaneity, with most songs on the EP falling flat due to being overlong, lacking any significant climax or variation. The melodies play out and quickly grow stagnant — nothing a couple of hooks couldn't have fixed though. Still, the dream pop gloss that shines over the six songs puts you in a nice state, and Tim Cohen's vocals sound stronger than ever, particularly on "Drugs," the most lyrically focused track. Interestingly, Cohen's accompanied by a female vocalist and saxophone on "Deluge of War." Any hesitation regarding Fresh & Onlys' new direction with last year's album has been put in the past. Vivid dream pop that retains their signature jangly melodies is their new sound.