Sappy can’t settle on any one sound, and they are probably better off for it. Their just-released second album Altima finds the group zipping from mainstream baiting bits of bright-eyed balladry (“Starfall”) to sun-dappled indie-pop (“She See“). Their best mode, though, comes when they get a bit more dramatic on “Spider.” Those opening guitar chugs are a red herring — “Spider” soon turns into something more understated, letting plenty of space into its runtime to make the moments where everything locks in all the more forceful. And it also lets the moments of optimism that sneak into this otherwise bleaker number shine brighter. Listen above.
