Women - Eyesore 8.9/10

Women is an art rock band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This track is taken from their album Public Strain which was released by the label Jagjaguwar in 2010. As the final track on Public Strain, the last two minutes of Eyesore act as the outro to the album as a whole, and does so to spectacular effect with a guitar riff that will get stuck in your head for weeks. Heavy reverb effects on the vocals and guitars hark back to 1960's psychedelic bands, while the lyrics are almost unintelligibly buried in the mix. Like many songs by Women, Eyesore begins with a familiar rhythm that abruptly shifts halfway through into a new vocal melody and guitar chord pattern that lead to a satisfying conclusion. Guitarist Chris Reimer died in February 2012, and the band has been on hiatus since then although no official breakup has been announced by their label Jagjaguwar.

Small Black - No Stranger 7.7/10

Small Black is an indie electronic band from New York City, USA. This track is taken from their album Limits of Desire released by Jagjaguwar in May 2013. Josh Kolenick's shy voice carries this track as he sings of a need for commitment and acceptance. Shimmering waves of synths, heavy reverb effects and jumpy beats speed the track along, with a huge wash of lush sound following the chorus line of "You're no stranger to me." While Small Black's updated chillwave style can grow rather predictable over the length of the full album Limits of Desire, taken on its own a track like No Stranger provides simple pleasures and a warm, blissed out sensation, which sometimes is all we really need.

Peter Wolf Crier - Beach 7.9/10

Peter Wolf Crier are Peter Pisano and Brian Moen, a lo-fi indie rock band from Minneapolis, USA. This track is taken from their second album Garden of Arms released by Jagjaguwar in 2011. The percussion used on this track is memorable since the constant background rhythm sounds like rain pelting against a windowpane. The song really kicks into high gear at 1:53 when a squall of electric guitar noise moves in and takes over, leading to a satisfyingly noisy conclusion. Pisano's thin voice is high and wavers at times, while his cryptic lyrics suggest he is asking to reconnect with someone. The sound of Garden of Arms is considerably more developed and polished compared to the simple folk rock tunes on their debut Inter-Be. The bigger and fuller sound doesn't always lead to improved results on Garden of Arms, however Beach is by far the standout track from both the album and from the band.