The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly

The Ruby Suns make music that is pretty exclusive to the spring and summer seasons, which makes sense since singer Ryan McPhun is a native Californian that now lives in New Zealand. That being said, this album had to work a little bit harder to grab my attention during the dead of winter, but I'm glad it did. Following up their successful second album, 2008's Sea Lion, with their new release, Fight Softly, The Ruby Suns are out to prove that they're more than a just blogosphere flash-in-the-pan. Starting off with glitchy effects on "Sun Lake Rinsed" and easing into a tropical-flavored, sample-heavy sound, it's clear that The Ruby Suns decided to pull out every trick possible to avoid making the same album over again. The result almost makes them sound like a chillwave group at times, especially on "Mingus and Pike," which eschews the jangly acoustic guitars that the Ruby Suns were once so fond of for Nyquil-induced vocals and hazy synths. This continues throughout most of the album, making me question if this is even the same band that once wrote "Oh Mojave." I'm not sure what brought on this new direction, but it's definitely a welcome change and one that will keep fans interested in The Ruby Suns for years to come.

DOWNLOAD: The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly [Sub Pop]
Recommended Tracks: "Mingus and Pike," "Cinco," "Cranberry," "How Kids Fail."