Are You Sleepy
Athens, Georgia's Gerbils--Will Westbrook, Scott Spillane, and John D'Azzo--all play in extended lineups ofNeutral Milk HotelandOlivia Tremor Control. The Gerbils have their own sound, however, and it's a delectable one. Gushing with ecstatic, fuzzed-out, shambling, warm pop melody, the harmonies are sung at a ridiculously high pitch. The vocals sound unreal; the group consistently achieve Muppets in Space/ Menudo-boy registers that somehow sound really great. The band members are connoisseurs of lovingly deranged pop and borrow equally from late-'60s bubble-gum psychedelia, early-'70s Canterbury prog, and late-'80s bedroom-recorded strummy stuff. Sound levels are intentionally pushed well into the red, flavoring the songs with a wide range of premeditated distortion. The first tune alone, "Sunshine Soul," will propel you through your day, stuck on repeat play in your brain. Its sweet chorus, "Your sunshine soul, it seems to me like some melody," will add a lilt to your step, a smile to your face.--Mike McGonigal