Future Self (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

Sounding like the next generation of Northwest indie rockers who grew up on Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and Death Cab for Cutie, Seattle-based quartet the Globes deliver a mature full-length debut. Working with producer John Goodmanson (Death Cab, Sleater-Kinney, Blonde Redhead) they craft a sound built on dynamics, sharp tempo shifts, and unexpected bursts of volume. Beginning with two memorable, hook-filled tracks that quickly grow on you (“Haunted By Bears,” “Pigeon”) the songs get progressively more complex and challenging. The intricately arranged “A Stitch Couldn’t Save the World” and “Pretty Birds Above Our Heads” stretch melodies to the breaking point and then engulf them in layers of noise and gritty textures, and closers “Japan” and “Face Up Facing” artfully incorporate keyboards for added tension. These are four talented musicians and the ways in which the guitars intertwine with a terrific rhythm section produce some truly sublime moments. Innovative in a subtle way, the Globes have absorbed and dissected their share of indie rock from the past 20 years while adding their own imprint to the form.