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Perhapst
Perhapst
In Music We Trust
Commandeered by former Decemberists/Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks drummer John Moen, Perhapst's self-titled debut has an endearing low-fi charm. Although the Portland-based musician is joined by several friends—including his old bandmate Erick Lovre of the late, great Dharma Bums and Malkmus himself on guitar—Moen is the braintrust here and as he demonstrated with his old outfit The Maroons, he's quite adept at leading a band. "Quote" snakes along with indie rock swagger; the poppy "Blue Year" sounds like a less dolorous Dean Wareham and "Incense Cone" has an understated, twitchy appeal. Other highlights include the trash rocker "Harbor," the sweet falsetto acoustica of "Alamand" and the stirring album closer "Aren't You Glowing." Buoyed by intelligent songwriting and subtle hooks, this is one of the most compelling releases of the year.
—Alex Green
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