Repeat After Me — Mapmaker

Jam bands and power pop aren’t two genres that seem like they would go together, but Repeat After Me Manages to pull it off. Repeat After Me is signed to Russian Winter Records, which has done an excellent job of building a stable of artists of brands whose music you can space out to, but it’s never spacy enough to be off-putting. (PS, Russian Winter Records and I made a benefit compilation album that you should buy.)

But to get back to Repeat After Me, let’s talk about their aesthetics for a second. You can purchase a digital copy of this album (recommended) for $5, but for $18 you can purchase a vinyl that includes a free set of crayons for you to color in the cover. For crayons, 20 minutes of fun, and a chance to exercise your own creativity, I’d say that’s a pretty clutch deal. You know what else is clutch? Mapmaker.

This is a beautifully constructed album — plain and simple. You’re eased in to what seems like a glittering pop confection with “Mapmaker,” before being whisked into more contemplative territory with songs like “I’m Going Back” and “Carve Out a Name.” The standout track for me is “San Francisco” — maybe it’s a little silly, but sometimes you need a silly song to leaven Mapmaker’s ultimate achievement: building intelligent but crafty music.

Repeat After Me — Official, Facebook, Bandcamp