IN REVIEW: Car Seat Headrest - "Teens of Denial"

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After releasing a deluge of albums on Bandcamp (ten, plus a compilation and an EP between 2010 and 2014), Car Seat Headrest (ostensibly a solo project by Will Toledo) signed to heavyweight indie label Matador in 2015. Following the introductory compilation Teens of Style, Teens of Denial marks the official label debut for the band. Accordingly, it features fuller compositions and more instrumentation. Given his previous recorded output, it's not surprising to hear the wealth of ideas put forth on Teens of Denial; stretching just past the 70-minute mark, the lo-fi DIY approach is augmented with tension, bombast and epic appeal (8 of 12 tracks go past the five minute mark, including one over ten). Overall, it's a supersized throwback to the '90s indie scene that was flourishing while Toledo was a toddler, a record full of fuzzed-out nostalgia, sharp wit and ragged glory.

May 20, 2016 • Matador
Highlights Fill in the Blank • Vincent • Cosmic Hero

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