Port O'Brien

Production can kill great music. Port O’Brien won’t allow such things to be associated with their tunes and although no one will be calling their debut full-length "clean” or "polished,” it’s the messiness that makes them such a special find. The California band are focused on group chants and acoustic guitars, and within the craziness you can spot a rare talent shining through, with downright sincerity creeping through each chord and haggard lyric. At first listen, you may not hear it but repeat spins will prove Port O’Brien much deeper than just a group of drunk friends around a campfire, yet not that much different. They are entirely worthy of their opening spots for bands like Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse — after all, raw passion and honesty are what drove Conor Oberst out of his bedroom in Nebraska and into the arms of international success. Let’s just hope the same happens with Port O’Brien, as the only reason jammy clap-alongs like "Split” don’t have Weakerthans fans whispering is because they have yet to hear them. But once they do, Port O’Brien will be impossible to slow down.