Reviews for [RL24]
Brrr "s/t"

• Erasing Clouds.com
  The Pennsylvania-based group Brrr's self-titled 7" starts off with a song named after one of the band members, Jesse Todd, and featuring a lovely trumpet solo from him, along with some lovely violin, and guitars and percussion and just plain all around loveliness: that is, it's early morning, a gorgeous sun is rising, and everything just feels right. There's a Belle & Sebastian-ish pastoralness (or at least, echoes of those moments when Belle & Sebastian sound pastoral) to the song, and the lyrics, sung shyly by lead singer Herbie Shellenberger, are sweet: "clouds are in the sky / we're open to the day / and it makes us go / oooh." The next song sports more forceful group singalong vocals, fitting for a song titled "Row Row Your Boat," even if it's not the one you think. Instead it (written by the one-man band Widower) is a bare-bones sort of love letter. The flip side "Beauty and the Beast" is a still-pretty, more dour song with some great raucous energy at times, plus an overriding feeling of longing, fitting for what's ultimately a love song, with the punchline: "you're the only one who makes me quake." An excellent single all around: pretty textures and nice melodies, sung and played with heart. – dave heaton
  
  
  
  
• Under the Volcano #96
  The BRRR are an excellent collective of musicians hailing from Eastern Pennsylvania with an incredible knack for writing the ultimaterainy day pop song to cheer you up in seconds. Both moody and introspective, The Brrr at times remind me a lot of the very best shoegazer bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain. The three songs that make up this EP have a very relaxing, loose recording and playing style, and you can tell that the players enjoyed performing and taking part in the recording process of these tunes. Rok Lok hits another one out of the park. -McClernon