| Spouse has done it again. Confidence is the fifth full-length offering from the
brainchild of Jose Ayerve. Blossoming through the years with the talent of Naomi
Hamby, Dan Pollard, JJ O'Connell and Ken Maiuri, Spouse writes songs that are
dense and rich while leaving room for the swirling, dancing melodies. The songs
balance frenzied energy with delicate imagery. They marry short fiction with pop
music. They give poetry some balls. They take rock and roll to the spa.
"Impressed By You" has a sweet rolling bass line mixed with drums that
pitter and patter like a fluttering heart. It captures the giddy thrill of love
as it blooms and swells while "Keep Being You" explores the frustrations of a
long-term relationship with a musician, unfolding like a short story set to
music. "No Sudden Moves" is by far the best track on the album. It is a pop-rock
jewel. The refrain "we don't really need it" is so anthemic, so catchy, we can
all find a reason to scream it at the top of our lungs.
You can never be sure if what you get from a song as a listener is what the
artist intended, but "What You're Feeling" sounds like how it must feel to be an
indie band touring and playing every night because it's just what you've got to
do to feel alive. Erin McKeown joins Jose on the duet "Underwater." It's
haunting and titillating. It seems to evoke the nervousness and need you feel
when you see an old lover, one who's faded away in time but not in your heart.
This album is full of songs that'll make you think. They'll make you feel. (Nine
Mile Records)
http://www.myspace.com/spouse | 
