To these ears, Atlanta’s Gringo Star exists on both sides of a coin. Considering the group’s incorporation of a flurry of inspirations, it’s a band some have become hesitant to narrowly define as indie rock. At the same time, all the sounds and influences weaved into Gringo Star’s din demonstrate alt-indie’s broad scope, though where it’s gone on album number four is deeper down the wormhole toward the ’50s and ’60s.
“Rotten” has Danelectro-mimicking tape effects contributing to a hip-swinging twang, “Get Closer” sounds like Dick Dale conducting a doo-wop while perched on a rocket to the moon (or the tombs), “Still Alive” rams psychedelia into a country two-step, and “Heading South” presents like an acid-drenched, Arabic-inflected sock hop. The weak yet indie-friendly Rivers Cuomo-esque vocals sometimes drag down adventurous and expansive musical steps like “Magic” and “Knee Deep,” but ultimately nothing curtails The Sides And In Between from taking large, genre-defying outbound steps.
—Kevin Stewart-Panko
