Abe Vigoda
Crush
Bella Union
September 20

By Tom Liljedahl

Abe Vigoda, an indie rock band from Chino, California, have released their fourth album Crush. Being someone who finds it difficult to listen to an entire song without changing it, I was surprised to find that from the moment I put the CD in my computer, I unconsciously lost track of what was playing. This was due to the incredible flow, and relaxed, mellow nature that resonates throughout the entire journey.

The opening track, “Sequins,” instantly hooks you with a simple, yet catchy guitar riff, and keeps you listening the entire way, as it slowly builds up to a climax through bells and electronic sounds. In fact, the primary difference between Crush and Abe Vigoda’s previous albums is the electronic and futuristic feel that it brings. This feel is personified through tracks such as “Throwing Shade,” “To Tears” and “We Have to Mask” all which are very electro sounding.

This is not the case, however, with some songs, such as “Crush” and “Pure Violence,” which have a more conventional rock sound. The diverse variations of a single genre of music are part of what keeps this album from getting old. The subtle differences in style from each song to the next had me feeling caught up and lost in the music. So lost, in fact, that I rarely noticed a change in tracks.

Whether they intended it or not, “Crush” into “November,” and “To Tears” into “Beverly Slope” seem as if they were meant to be, seamlessly flowing into one another. This perfected flow reminds me of that of Pink Floyd, who had a tendency to do the same thing. While listening to the new album, I also drew comparisons to bands such as MGMT and the Gorillaz, who have a similar mellow and electronic feel.

These being some of my favorite bands, I can give no higher praise, and would advise anyone interested in this genre of music to check out Abe Vigoda’s Crush.