The masters understand that the key to a great pop song lies in the ability to mine that place in the hippocampus where beloved melodies and the bittersweet moments they memorialize commingle. In this regard, The Alice Rose's Phonographic Memory is one of the most apt titles for a pop album in ages. Think about hearing a classic tune by Squeeze for the first time, and it's easy to understand how special this Austin-based band is: Every song on its debut sounds both strangely familiar and utterly new.
An especially noteworthy example, "West," opens like a modern emo-rocker, but then it dissolves into a simple piano-driven ballad, as if it were a demo tape from Brian Wilson's late-'60s period. With sweetly sincere lyrics — "Over-hanging memory wilts / The heartbeat began / Tipped gladly in hand over everything I have" — the song simply blooms, sounding oddly warm and instantly memorable in the process.
Listen to yesterday's 'Song of the Day.'
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