Prints - Self-Titled

Prints
s/t
Temporary Residence Ltd.
Grade: A-

I wonder if a law exists somewhere that limits the number of bands one individual can be in? And so it is the case for the uber-prolific Kenseth Thibideau and his new musical outlet Prints. Joined by Zac Nelson, Prints’ debut self-titled full-length offers eight songs of ethereal indie pop. This is akin to crossing Thibideau’s Howard Hello with Pinback – traditional song-structured indie rock brimming with pop and an abundance of non-word vocal harmonies. You immediately feel the love on opener “Easy Magic,” where smatterings of non-word harmonies float around until the guitars swoop and commence rocking. “Too Much Water” is in similar mood with pleasant rocking guitars leading the way and vocals accompanied by non-words battles “Easy Magic” for the divine right on the record; it also helps that “Too Much Water” includes whistling a la Andrew Bird or Peter Bjorn and John. Following the average “Pretty Tick” and “Meditation” comes the beat-driven, acoustic guitar hovering “Blue Jay.” “I Wanna Know” and “All We Knead” is standard fair and holds the floor for the terrific closer “End.” “End” feels like the opening two tracks but includes a dose of atmospheric electronics to bolster the mood. Essentially, if you want a more rock Howard Hello then Prints is perfect for you.