By: Liz Levine

Rating: 8/11

It's difficult to categorize Austin's The Sour Notes beyond “a rock band” because they throw in so many styles and bits of sound that half the fun is having initial notions dispelled. Singer/songwriter Jared Boulangeris not afraid to entertain variety and find room for any musical idea however short, and he seems to have found kindred spirits in band members Chris Page, Travis Hackett, and Elaine Greer. Their melodies and structures are time-honored examples of catchiness and accessibility; it’s their use of these elements that’s unique, playfully experimenting with sounds and layering with no reserves. What could pass as a nice rock song for some could entice another with all the

Their latest release It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty begins with the comforting, whispery “Beyond Recognition” that features a lazy surf riff and pleasant girl/boy vocals, sounding quite like the xx. Though this track sets a nice tone, it makes the much more “Do-ers & Say-ers” into a nice surprise. Starting out as a fairly standard punk song lifted by its guitar line, it soon takes on a more new-rock form with some room for danciness, eventually giving way to swath of synth work and some outer space noises. This track sets the pace nicely for what is to be the main strength of the album: it’s not wildly experimental, but it never stays in one place for very long.

“Familiar Presence” is an excellent pop song, using an easy vocal melody to drive the synth and mild guitar to pleasing explosions at the ends of phrases. The chorus then bursts in with its 80s lean, making excellent use of Elaine Greer’s backing vocals, an element that seems underutilized on the album as a whole. When jubilant handclaps eventually enter the mix, the song has completed its mission of representing pop for all it should be.

Along with the styles already mentioned, The Sour Notes also do ballads, dance music, synth pop, electronica and math rock, none of which ever dominates a song entirely. This doesn’t come off as overindulgence, however, because an appropriate mood is always carefully maintained, be it giddiness, loneliness, or what have you. Subtlety is firmly employed so that the tone is always maintained, allowing the members to cram in their whims without assaulting the listener. When It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty closes with the cute waltz of “A Distant Knell,” it’s no surprise.