Before we proceed, let’s get a few things out of the way. This indie rock record contains none of the following: brightly-coloured art school drop-out cover art; shitty, tin-can recording quality; oversized sunglasses; Springsteen rip-offs; off-key singing; band members from Brooklyn; songs about summertime; or any whiff of blog hype. Still reading? Good. Systems Officer is the solo project of Armistead Burwell Smith IV of Three Mile Pilot and Pinback, and anyone familiar with either of those bands will undoubtedly enjoy Underslept. Handling all the instrumentation, Smith demonstrates his skill as a musician, singer and songwriter in a subtle, impressive fashion. This record is filled with catchy, quirky hooks, soaring melodies and Smith’s trademark bass playing. Most impressive of all is Smith’s ability to write original, inspiring and timeless music; music that is completely independent of anything Pitchfork has a hard-on for this week. Indie rock indeed. (Temporary Residence Ltd., www.temporaryresidence.com) Curran Faris
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989