Vertical Scratchers
, the collaboration between the ever-busy
John Schmersal
and former
Triclops!
/
Anywhere
member
Christian Beaulieu
, is much more direct than
Schmersal
's other 2010s project,
Crooks on Tape
. Where that band focuses on the quirky sonics that used to decorate the music of his previous group
Enon
,
Daughter of Everything
is some of the most straightforward music of
's career.
are at their best when they make the most of their classicism: though songs like "Wait No Longer" evoke some of
's previous acts thanks to the crunchy guitars and winding falsetto vocals, the bite-size songs and stripped-down Anglophilia more often recall
Guided by Voices
, even before
Robert Pollard
makes a cameo on "Get Along Like U." The brashly strummy sound of "Turn Me Out" -- which could be a second or third cousin to
the Kinks
' "Picture Book" -- and "The End" is engaging, while the power poppy "Kingdom Come" and "Run Around," a playful look at an obsessive crush with words and melodies that chase themselves in circles, show how good
can be at their best. While
Beaulieu
and
often sound best on the speedy songs that give their observations some momentum, "U Dug Us All"'s infectious melody and "Rainbows"' hazy psych-pop prove they can slow things down effectively as well. All told,
is a promising collection of wry guitar pop that nods to the best of the '60s and '90s. ~ Heather Phares