Sound: Hyper-peppy indie pop/punk delivered in quick, fun bursts. Scrappy drums, bouncy synths/organs/pianos, and Matt Johnson’s earnest, geeky and exuberant vocals make for an in-your-face blast of cheeriness – including several heartfelt shout-outs to New York City.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “I Wanna”; “Daylight”; “I’ll Take You Home”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Turn This Boat Around”; “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare”
Recommended: All the giddy, zealous and often nasal-voiced excitement may be a little too upbeat for some, but Matt & Kim demonstrate some serious musical chops and more sonic range on Grand than they did on their 2006 self-titled debut. The year is young, but this is likely to stand out as one of the better indie releases in 2009.
Grade: B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com