Murder Mystery

I've had reserves about 2007, musically, as a whole for a while now. The year was marked with a few good releases, plenty of fun ones, and an occasionally timeless/classic one for me.
But, hope is by no means lost for the year ... it can go down in musical history as a memorable and important one, for sure. It's undeniable, though, that the best releases have been saved for the final quarter of 2007. From Beirut to M.I.A. to Dirty Projectors to Jens Lekman to Magik Markers ... the fall and winter period will be jam packed with wonderful hits.

Murder Mystery (MySpace) falls into this category. The New York City quartet goes straight for your gut. The songs are a soft-spoken collection of wonderful surf-y hooks, synth melodies and beats, cute boy/girl harmonies, lo-fi, minimal guitar playing, dance-y drumming ... a spectacular pout potpourri of stylish indie pop, 60s beach-y hits, and New Wave tunes.

Pick up their debut LP, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here It Comes, over at Insound.

Murder Mystery - Honey Come Home
Murder Mystery - Love Astronaut