Kemado, 2010

Be Set Free sees the Pennsylvania songwriter delivering his third album of chirpy, barroom-friendly folk-pop. The soulful singalongs have a familiar quality, which is intended – Langhorne is tapping into communal, gospel-inspired melodies. It’s not highly original then, even with its genre-roaming, and the lyrics can be clichéd as well as earnestly penned, but the backing of a full band and the timely touches of strings, piano, and organ, ensure the record pulls through in celebratory style.

Count Your Lucky Stars, 2010

From Long Beach, CA, Boris Smile brings simple pop tunes in the form of a concept album about space travel, with six tracks that are sure to pull on the heart strings and have you focusing on the lyrics and the stories they tell.

Deep Elm, 2010

If Bon Iver joined a shoegaze band, this would be it. The falsetto-heavy layered vocals sit back in the mix, sharing the stage equally with the band’s alternately restrained folk style and driven indie rock approach. The songs are all catchy and concise, so there’s a lot to enjoy on this album in repeated listens. My only criticism is that the band’s sound is a bit inconsistent – the album sets you up for a relaxed listen with the first few songs, then suddenly the drums come pounding in and it’s a bit jarring.

Distiller, 2010

French electro-pop, which sounds as you’d expect: bright, airy, cheerful, disco-tuned. Fortune’s debut is a bit too sugary sweet for me, and unvarying in its shiny synth sound, but might be worth checking out if you’re into Phoenix’s poppier numbers.

Kscope, 2010

If their previous EP served to exhibit their lofty ambitions, Grappling Hooks shows the Scottish trio’s feet aren’t anywhere near the ground yet. Their debut full-length is a similarly enigmatic record, bathing in synths and fuzzy guitars, driven by an excited clamour of percussion, narrated by oddly detached vocals. The eleven tracks touch upon indie, electro, pop, and rock, but in general categories are unwanted ballast on such an airy and free record.

Self-released, 2010

Imagine if Dave Davidson (of Maps & Atlases fame) joined Death Cab For Cutie and add a whole bunch of screaming – that’s a pretty good indicator of what Red Version sounds like. The whole indie pop + yelling your head off combination may be a little awkward at times, but if you’re a fan of catchy math-influenced music, this EP is definitely worth checking out.

Sub Pop, 2010

Avi Buffalo from Long Beach, California are putting out their debut album at the end of this month. Combining indie rock with folk and sometimes more poppy elements, this is a record with some catchy, well-written numbers, and some tasty vocal work in places.

Big Scary Monsters, 2010

The debut solo album from the ex-Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand and Rival Schools man is a gently upbeat acoustic affair. Although he shows his roots with covers of CIV and Agnostic Front, that’s as close the record gets to vociferous; instead Schreifels chooses to get his points across in an unassuming folk fashion with this collection of smart and tuneful songs.

Monotreme, 2010

Macabre, bleak and beautiful: so goes the experimental folk project of Toronto’s Liz Hysen. A melancholy trio of piano, cello, and acoustic guitar provide the unnerving atmosphere to Become Secret, a kind of gothic austerity over which Hysen’s downbeat vocals preside like a doomsayer whose prophecies are coming true around her. Gloomy and addictive.

River Seine, 2010

Two Oregon sons of preachers combine their passion for digging up ancient relics and upbeat folk-pop harmonies for this homely debut full-length. Their backgrounds make for some predictably ripe lyrical territory: sins, faith, heaven and hell provide the ruminative fire behind the hand-claps and gentle instrumentation.

Best Before, 2009

The sprightly UK trio deliver their second album of highly chaotic punk-pop. Dual male/female vocals battle with each other while the guitars buzz erratically around their heads: fifteen noisy songs somehow emerge intact. But don’t doubt the intelligent construction behind the commotion – it’s the reason Grace has lasting power far beyond its sugar-rush immediacy.

Yellow Ball, 2010

Lightheaded opens with the blissful pop-rock of “Lost In The Light”, female vocals joining the male for a sound that’s urgent as well as dreamy. The remaining four tracks never quite match the lush consistency of this start, but with the New York quintet roaming territory stretching from Arcade Fire to Fleetwood Mac, it’s always an interesting listen.