Rating: 6.0

The Killers have quickly propelled themselves into the forefront of popular music by combining unmistakably catchy vocal melodies with modern glam-core keyboards, retro guitar riffs and steady dance beats. The majority of the albums you find in the “rock” section of your average record store these days (can we still call them record stores when they don’t sell records anymore?) are laden with either dark and dirty songs about hating your father for not being around or being bitter towards some girl that dumped you before your band was rocking arenas. And who can blame her, how was she to know? It’s for this reason I haven’t bought a new CD from anywhere but a merchandise table in like four years, (Fire Theft’s debut, soooo good.)

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Sweet mother of looping guitar effects! The Slip’s new full-length, Eisenhower, brings interesting, spacey, math rock to somewhat obvious pop songs. The opening track on the eleven-song full-length, “Children of December,” is a nod to all those born around the holidays and the melancholy taste that is left in one’s mouth when they’ve experienced a life of having to share their birthday with Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Personally, as a guy born in May, my tiny violin sings for thee. But the careful attention to the tone of the guitars, the extra round low end and soft symbols make it easy to let the entire album fall into place. That combined with a vocal melody that was appealing enough to make me just a bit empathetic for you Capricorns of the world.

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