For those who have had the art- pop gems of The Just Barely’s 2005 release Top stuck in their heads for years, you’ll be pleased to hear their latest, Mad Bits, has enough solid jams to keep you going for another seven years. The time spent since the last release hasn’t been wasted—there’s absolutely no filler on this album. Crunchy, clean, smooth, sweet, precise, experimental; Mad Bits is tied together by Stephen Kelly and Eleanor King’s love of harmony and well-rounded songcrafting. But catchiness is not enough for this duo—each track is garnished with interesting touches: organ, clattering metal, shakers, a buffet of guitar pedals, screams, leaving a perfectly seasoned album.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2012.
