By: Ross Edwards
Rating: 9/11

Suckers encompass the feel of the ‘80s and ‘90s into a purely joyous, enthralling ménage. This is community music, because each song is so alive with beautiful, simple, universal melodies and rhythms and warm sounds. The effect is that the listener feels strongly connected to the band, as if in the presence of friends.  Few bands can write such boldly, cleverly appealing music.

The Brooklyn quartet has blatantly spacious sound, similar to Grizzly Bear, which they use to maximum effect on the funky “Beach Queen,” and the Bowie-smothered “King of Snakes” (it’s in his voice!). Suckers sounds like a young band, but their quirky exuberance is addicting — and the songwriting/arranging is great. They seem to know that the simplest bass lines are often the most danceable. 

“It Gets Your Body Movin’” does what it claims to, and also gets your mind racing like a Spike Jonze montage. The unison group chorus is sweetly straightforward, and so is “Easy Chairs,” which captures a familiar taunting childishness. Everybody needs sweet and straightforward sometimes, and Suckers scratches that itch.