Chris Brokaw (Comes, Codeine, et cetera) has this album, Puritan, that is so unbelievably good it’s mind boggling. Guitar-driven indie rock at it’s absolute best. Think of a slightly morose Versus crossed with late period Sonic Youth and you’re somewhat close. The songs have this way of floating, but are driving forward at a good clip with the right amount of low end to keep it from floating away. Thalia Zedek (Uzi, Comes, Thalia Zedek Band, et cetera) makes a guest appearance on a couple songs here (“The Bragging Rights” and “The Night Has No Eyes”), and the results are perfect. They should really make more music together because it’s great when they do. The instrumental “Report to an Academy” is a great bridge to the closer to the aforementioned “The Night Has No Eyes.” But it’s “The Heart of Human Trafficking” that really stands out the most, and really, all the songs on here are great, but this one in particular rises above them all: the tempo, the lyrics, the vocals, the music–everything about it. I know it sounds like I’m probably overdoing it with all the praise, but this album is great. It’s one I know I will listen to for years and years to come while others half life on my shelves. Perfect music for late night listening. –Matt Average (12XU, 12XU.net)