Halloween, Alaska - Champagne Downtown

It's a shame that Minneapolis' Halloween, Alaska is mostly known for their OC soundtrack inclusions and penchant for covering random songs (LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio," for one), because there's a lot more to this indie-pop quartet than all of that. Take their new album, Champagne Downtown, for example. Despite the fact that its title reminds me of everything I hate about downtown Chicago, it also includes some of their best songs to date. There's chiming, reflective riffs and descriptive lyrics on "In Order," subtle folk-rock harmonies and moody piano on "The Hollywood Sign," and spoken word bits mixed with intietronica grooves on the title track. Champagne Downtown may not be in the running for the album of the year status, but it's still a fufilling ten-track collection that showcases this underrated band at their best.

DOWNLOAD: Halloween, Alaska - Champagne Downtown [East Side Digital]
Recommended Tracks: "In Order," "The Hollywood Sign," "Champagne Downtown," "Hurry Up."