“PIANO PILLS” BY SEANCE CRASHER

The new album Piano Pills, from Portland band Seance Crasher, opens with “White Horse,” a dreamy pop song which builds up like an old new wave song. The quirky lyrics and fuzzy piano synths are consistent with what is musically in style now, but these guys sound like they were transported right from the new-wave era. Brothers Kevin and Daniel Rafn crafted a beautifully fun album here, with each songs leaving you feeling better than you did before. “Have You Ever Been in LA” features an intense classic rock-ish guitar solo near the end that breaks up the vocals nicely. “Strange Painting” is a quirky, light song that intertwines cheerful guitar riffs and flinty keys, much like They Might Be Giants used to do.

In a confused era of forced angst and boredom, these guys decided to be positive, at least musically. The lyrics often belie the carefree musical treatment, with lines like “Life is nasty, brutish and short/Invisible hand guides a currency of lies/Fly like birds of paradise” on the title track. The jaunty piano keys only thicken the overall irony of their sound. “Piano Pills” is a perfectly apropos title, as the keys brighten the otherwise depressing tone of the vocals. With a lyrical sense usually reserved for poets, Kevin Rafn really shows off his creative chops with this new release. Seance Crasher’s music is strange and infectious, in the best way possible. » – Scott McHale