Pumpkin Buzzard — Identity Undeclared

Pumpkin Buzzard's sleepy romp of an album, Identity Undeclared, is self-described as a veritable hodgepodge of punk, new wave, industrial, dub, metal, '90s alternative, damaged blues, and blissful indie pop. These 16 tracks recall some of the early Scott Walker ballads, Beach Boys surfer rock, and even the Flaming Lips as much as they do Modest Mouse and other glistening cream off the top tunes from the days of grunge and yesteryear.

The Pumpkin Buzzard's songs have an endearing 'everything and the kitchen sink' sensibility punctuated with witty melodies of low-key delivery that sometimes dissolve into bouts of incoherent silliness and impassively dreamy sludge chants. Each song features distinct vocals and word play - many of the songs contain sentiments of longing, mild despair, irreverence, tongue in cheek autonomy, roguish flirtations, and loneliness.

While the music is varied, the absurdist elements run a cohesive thread throughout the album -  the result is a rather pure, unique emotional inflection that carries it's own weight next to the other instrumentation. At times, this album drags; they are at their best when they push through the gloom into a kind of doom pop vibe. Overall, Identity Undeclared maintains its charm and is well worth a listen.