Lo Tom, comprising the principal members of Pedro The Lion and Starflyer 59, sounds like—words fail—Pedro The Lion meets Starflyer 59. Which is honest-to-god true, but maybe a little too snarky: Specifically, Lo Tom sounds like contemporary PtL meets circa-Americana Starflyer 59, meaning the order of the day is full, crunchy, guitar-driven indie rock, featuring melodic and conventionally structured songs. If it sounds a little like a busman’s holiday, and even if both bands have released more challenging work separately, it’s still a charming little record, clocking in at a modest 28 minutes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lo Tom gets most interesting when the music gets most edgy, as on the minor-chord-heavy “Bad Luck Charm” and the fuzzy, minimalist “Lower Down.” David Bazan’s vocals and Jason Martin’s guitars run the show, so even if some listeners might ding Lo Tom for playing it a little safe, there’s really not a wrong note on the record. Call it a split EP whose sides melted into each other.
—Eric Waggoner
