Jaill

On paper, there's really nothing about Jaill not to like. Boasting a fusion of garage rock, classic pop and mild psychedelia, the Milwaukee three-piece should be an indie-pop fan's dream. Yet with their first two full-lengths, they've neither committed to the stylistic box of the genres they borrow from, nor been able to break free from them, resulting in imperfect records lacking the sticky hooks needed to put them over. Traps sees the group continuing in a similar vein, even while pushing forward and evolving their sound. Gone is the punk-y fuzz of Sub Pop debut That's How We Burn, in favour of Wrecking Crew-style reverb. There's a great deal going on in these songs ― the backwards guitar intro on "Million Times" or the subtle drum machine beats on the country-fried "Horrible Things (Make Pretty Songs)," for example ― ensuring that keen-eared listeners won't get bored. Singer Vinnie Kircher's voice often sounds like a less verbose version of Destroyer's Dan Bejar and Traps feels like a conscious effort to create something as mature and sonically engaging as the New Pornographers' Twin Cinema. Yet once again, the band come up short, failing to deliver the hooks this kind of music so desperately needs.