Memphis

While his main project, for better or worse, settles into a template, Torquil Campbell (of Stars fame) has secretly been saving his most creative and exciting material for partner Chris Dumont and their band, Memphis. Here Comes A City (their first release since 2006's A Little Place In The Wilderness) takes us back a half-decade or so to when Set Yourself On Fire was the bleeding edge of indie and Arts & Crafts quietly dominated the scene. It's a shot of nostalgia, but there are few cobwebs on this solid LP. A pleasant first act grants some false nostalgia, assuring us "It's the end of the world today/because we said so," and with Campbell's patented stage whisper out in force, we damn near believe him. "Five Loops" is innocuous, to the point of being B-side-worthy, and "Reservoir" has similar interlude aspirations, while actually being quite interesting. "I Am The Photographer" is a step outside their comfort zone, and like "Incredibly Drunk On Whiskey" (from Wilderness), pays dividends as the easy standout. It's an intensely listenable collection and thankfully, one that eschews some ghosts of the past ― wrought, but not overly so.