Track A Tiger

Hazy and atmospheric, Track A Tiger's third album is a joyous celebration of strong pop sensibilities, soaring melodies and quiet moments of blissful solitude. Born in 2003 from lead man Jim Vallet's solo work, I Felt the Bullet Hit My Head has the perfect mixture of toe-tapping indie pop, à  la Broken Social Scene and Yo La Tengo ("Don't Let The Nightlight Dance," "Push Through the Dark"), and lo-fi moments ("Always Untrue"). Vallet's voice sparkles across all 12 songs and finds even higher heights when keyboardist Sandy Kim joins in. On "All Nerves Serve," Kim delivers fluttering non-words in the background, with Valley pushing the chorus forward. These Most Serene Republic-like achievements happen far less than one hopes but when they occur, they should be cherished. And with themes of "love, loss and picking ourselves up from the ashes and trying again" tying the record together, the dual vocals, accompanied by beautifully arranged, sugary sweet pop, make it that much harder not to fall in love with this album.