Will the country of The Decemberists make you start saying “y’all”? Will the doo-wop of Tennis make you long for clear blue skies on the open sea? Will Iron & Wine’s beard tickle your fancy? Will you embrace Cold War Kids with open arms? All of these questions may or may not be answered by Music Directors Matt and Caitlyn, but we encourage you to read on anyway.

Don’t know what to get for your brother, sister, best friend, coworker? Frantically looking for last-minute gifts? Well, don’t panic. New albums by Bad Books, Robyn, and Kisses could make for perfect stocking stuffers! Click on to read what our music directors have to say about them.

Matt & Kim
“Sidewalks”
4 out of 5 stars

Brooklyn duo Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have certainly evolved with the release of Sidewalks, and their third effort can definitely hold its own against their previous two albums.

This time around, the songs do not sound so formulaic, diverging from the predictable format consisting of Kim’s drums beginning each song and Matt’s keyboards kicking in shortly after. In this way, the common complaint that their songs sound too similar is diminished.

In fact, the denser arrangements make the ten songs easily distinguishable from each other. Tracks like “Red Paint” and “Wires” rely more heavily on synth, whereas lead single “Cameras” is addicting not only because of its feel-good nature but due in part to the trumpets and trombones. This brass section flows right into strings and piano on “Where You’re Coming From,” which are welcome additions to their infectious dance pop. They even give listeners a reprieve from this sugar rush with the slower, more reflective “Northeast.”

Known for their enthusiastic live performances, if you did not see Matt & Kim when they played at TCNJ in the spring, then this album will definitely make you regret that decision.

Key Tracks: “Cameras” and “Red Paint”
- Caitlyn Preciado

Mermaids
“Tropsicle”
4 out of 5 stars

The past few months have been filled with too many surf pop/rock/punk albums to name here. Mermaids have provided us with yet another, Tropsicle. Surprisingly, even among the large amount of quality surf albums released, Tropsicle stands out.

The leadoff track, “Holiday,” is full of the jangly guitars that define the whole release. This happy and fast-paced song is a perfect track to kick-off a great album, and the rest of the album does not disappoint. The harder and harsher “Frozen In Time” has a great hook and a catchy refrain. Songs like “Everybody’s Acting Like An Animal,” which shows off their doo-wop influence, also prove that Mermaids are not a one trick pony. And you can’t forget the great closer, “Whirlpool,” which takes the lo-fi sound of the album up a notch.

Tropsicle, like the name implies, is sometimes tropical and sometimes harsh, but it is cohesive and immensely enjoyable. With this album, the Mermaids have proven that they can hang with the indie surf pop heavyweights.

Key Tracks: “Holiday,” “Whirlpool” and “Frozen In Time”
- Matt Jannetti

of Montreal
“False Priest”
4 out of 5 stars

Of Montreal has been producing quirky indie pop since 1996 and this album is not much different. There are plenty of songs with quick changes, eccentric lyrics and strange melodies. The best example on this album is the song “Our Riotous Defects,” which features Janelle Monae.

However, this album is much more accessible than many of its previous releases. “Coquet Coquette” is a clear radio single with a straightforward composition, lyrics and formula. “Enemy Gene,” also featuring Janelle Monae, has plenty of quirkiness, but it is used in such a way that even people who have been put off by of Monteal before can enjoy it.

Old fans shouldn’t think that Kevin Barnes and of Montreal have abandoned their musical style.

Of Montreal is famous for their genre experiments. It appears that they have adopted yet another small change that will become folded into the repertoire before their next album is released.

Key Tracks: “Enemy Gene” and “Our Riotous Defects”
-Matt Jannetti
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Sufjan Stevens
“The Age of Adz”
4.5 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately, Sufjan Stevens was not serious when he said that he would create an album for each of the 50 states (he got through two, Illinois and Michigan), but with The Age of Adz, we can’t really complain, even though it is a stark departure from his much-loved take on indie folk.

Gone is the heavily conceptualized album, full of metaphors and hidden meanings. Stevens is unabashedly straightforward, singing about love and loneliness not in terms of historical figures like Casimir Pulaski or cities like Chicago, but in terms of his own emotions.

Clocking in at a hefty 75 minutes (due in part to the 25-minute closer), the album opens with “Futile Devices,” the only song having the most semblance to his previous work. After that, Stevens’ new electronic direction manifests itself in “Too Much,” and the immediacy and anxiety of that song carries over to the others, with “I Walked” utilizing the new heavy beats and manipulated vocals perfectly. The album as a whole may prove to be too much of a change for some fans, but it is tastefully crafted so that it doesn’t seem over-the-top.

Key Tracks: “I Walked” and “Too Much”
-Caitlyn Preciado