The Stevens may be a fresh faced export from Melbourne, Australia, but when listing to this disk, I can't help but conjure up the treasure trove unfurled by mid-90s noise-pop acts like Eric's Trip, The Spinanes, Papillomas, and Transistor Sound & Lighting Co. Given that three of those aforementioned combos were from Canada, it would be a stretch to make any sort of parallel with a quartet hailing from the opposite corner of the globe, but in my mind it works. Truth be told, the Stevens more readily admit to aligning themselves with the vintage Flying Nun Records roster, and given their penchant for sweet, clangy chords, and warm, tuneful delivery I suppose it's hard to counter that argument. Toss in a modicum of post-punk awareness, à la Wire and you've generally distilled the Stevens unpretentious indie pop brew, almost to a fault in fact. The songs within may ring a tad lo-fi to the Pitchfork and Coachella set, but well let that be their loss. You can purchase a CD directly from the band by clicking here, and for the time being, I've been given clearance to make the whole thing available below. Furthermore, if you like what you hear you can also check out a PBS broadcast from a few weeks ago, featuring a full set by the Stevens (roughly 30 mins in).
01. Alone
02. I Look Back
03. Million Miles
04. Weaving a Basket
05. Living Out of a Bag
06. Fast Cars