Shotgun Jimmie

While there's no doubt that Jim Kilpatrick is a fantastic songwriter, Transistor Sister is the first record where he actually sounds like he's trying. Kilpatrick's music has always been infused with a lackadaisical, slacker vibe and that's still present. But this is the first time it's taken a back seat to pop hooks. A 180-degree turn from the acoustic home demos that made up last year's Paint it Pink EP, Transistor Sister was recorded with the help of Ladyhawk drummer Ryan Peters and Do Make Say Think bass player Jay Baird. The heavyweight rhythm section help Kilpatrick create a more driven, full-bodied sound. Kilpatrick wrote the record while on tour in Europe and it finds him in a reflective mood. "Suzy" looks back on youthful crushes, while Kilpatrick contemplates self-improvement through higher education in "King of Kreuzberg." A handful of the album's 16 tracks clock in at under a minute and feel unfinished, but don't interrupt the record's flow. Reminiscent of the Joel Plaskett Emergency's hard rocking Truthfully Truthfully, the album showcases Kilpatrick's songwriting while retaining the offbeat charm that endeared him to the converted in the first place.