Old Soul

Like the Old Soul’s debut disc, their follow-up is another gem that mainstream audiences will never understand. She’s Got Party Davis Eyes combines late ’60s psychedelia with Beach Boys-ish melodies and harmonies resulting in a poppy, yet bizarre record. "Nectar of the Nitwit” starts straightforward enough, with a chorus of women yelling out the title, but then a major tempo shift slows the song down only to pick back up again near the end. And that’s pretty much the blueprint of the entire album. Wild tempo changes, a cacophony of horns, guitars and vocals, odd lyrics — the band have jammed in so many ideas that it’s often hard to figure out what they’re doing. However, the packed songs are the album’s biggest strength. Like reading a good book, every listen will elicit something new, whether it’s a distant harmony or an unusual riff. It’s still a wonder why Universal have championed these guys — they’d be a better fit on Arts & Crafts, or alongside Apples In Stereo. But it doesn’t really matter, as long as their music gets heard.