My last few posts have featured up-jump-and-boogie tracks and it’s high time I settle down a bit before I hurt myself. The Chicago trio, The Layaways, a perennial favorite ’round these parts, return after dropping their festive Christmas EP more than two years ago. Their laid-back, ’60s era sounds are absolutely delightening. Yes, they’re so good that they induce spontaneous neology. On “Keep it to Yourself” they flavor their guitars with just a pinch of fuzz, a dash of reverb, and a sprinkle of backwardness. They turn up the jangle on “All Around the World” and their tag-team vocalists provide a subtle depth to this new full-length, available, by the way, in its entirety on their site in full share mode. Good peeps them Layaways boys. I hope they don’t mind me adding my favorite track, “Come Back Home.” It evokes a hot, languid California Summer circa 1967. Dig it.
One last note, The Layaways’ guitarist, David Harnell, writes the blog Digital Audio Insider, a must read for any DIY band navigating their way through the digital music world.
Keep it to Yourself [MP3, 4.5MB, 192kbps]
All Around the World [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
Come Back Home [MP3, 6.3MB, 192kbps]
these guys are awesome! they have a good feel to their sound.