Caveman – Smash New York synth-pop group Caveman had to self-release their first album, 2011’s CoCo Beware - but it wasn’t long before word of mouth brought that album a rerelease on Fat Possum. By 2013, its follow-up the self-titled Caveman had begun to make big waves in the indie world. Its title proving apt as the band had widdled their sound down to something immediately distinct from their peers and created a draw for their growing fan base. It’s melodic and detached, an album filled to the brim with layered, atmospheric synths and pulsating drums, all guided by Matt Iwanusa’s enveloping vocals. Caveman was a great album, but one that the band could have easily been restrained by. Instead, the band moved towards the middle with 2016’s pop-forward Otero War , a middling and forgettable album that alienated fans and didn’t do much for the band’s critical favor either. Luckily, Caveman has turned away from that bloated and strangely sci-fi outing to split the difference on their...
a subjective look at objective sounds