New Head On The Sofa: In Your Galaxie

In Your Galaxie presents an interesting test for shoegaze-leaning outfit Head On The Sofa – can the reverb-loving music they make remain strong for an entire album? Up until now, they’ve only released EPs, often clocking out after five songs. It felt like just the right amount of time for Head On The Sofa, who are good at the loud-guitars-mumbly-vocals style but who don’t know many tricks beyond that. Record a few songs like that, maybe an instrumental or one experimental-leaning number and call it a release. In Your Galaxie features 11 songs, and some of them take their time. It is a good listen, albeit one that can sometimes drag.

The best songs don’t mess around. “Lean On” and “Become A Sea” are distorted indie-pop songs finding just the right balance between dissonance and catchiness (they probably owe a bigger debt to Yo La Tengo than My Bloody Valentine, especially the latter song). “Song About A Light” builds on sonic ideas introduced on this year’s “You Have A Light,” turning that fast-paced number into a more introspective ballad. There are also short but effective moments, like the 24-second “Sporty Love,” which add needed tremors to these songs. Yet the formula can also drag, other songs here sounding a little too comfortable in the style Head On The Sofa have established for themselves. That is not the case with the most challenging song here, the 11-minute-long “Sporty Town.” It is the toughest number to wrap your head around here, as it is tough to say whether it is aimless shredding or Head On The Sofa pushing themselves sonically. Right now I’m leaning towards the latter, and it is the most memorable moment here. Listen below, or get it here.