Following their 2008 debut, A Record, New York quintet Laura Stevenson & The Cans return with a second album of charming, folk-tinged indie rock. On Sit Resist, The Cans - a conglomeration of members of various NY-based bands - produce some fine arrangements to compliment Laura Stevenson’s rather impressive vocal cords.
Lead single 'Master of Art' begins with that ubiquitous Phil Spector drumbeat, shortly accompanied by guitar strums and a melody that you will be humming for the foreseeable future. However, when the chorus kicks in, the song descends into rom-com soundtrack territory (the end bit where the girl realises that she loves the shy bloke from the art gallery). Nevertheless, it is hard to ignore that the band certainly knows how to pull off a good pop song.
In contrast to the indie-rock leanings of 'Master of Art', 'Caretaker' is a ballad with an emotional punch to rival anything delivered by Cat Power or Feist, and provides a perfect showcase for the band’s understated side. The stark beauty of Stevenson’s voice, coupled with gentle guitar picking, is plenty to carry the song, so it is almost disappointing when the clutter of the full band arrives. 'Finish Piece' happily avoids the same fate, and the aching plea of “take a piece of me” is accompanied only by sparse piano chords. Laura Stevenson & The Cans are definitely at their best when they return to the more basic template set on A Record.
In contrast to the more tender tracks, 'The Healthy One' and 'Barnacles' are reminiscent of the uplifting moments on Noah and The Whale’s debut. The former in particular sounds like the rambunctious sister of '5 Years Time', which is certainly no bad thing. Even the most cynical of listeners will find themselves swept away in the whirl of accordion and glockenspiel. It is very likely, however, that the song will fall prey to the makers of yoghurt adverts, which is a shame.
The problem is that Sit Resist is like a person who is so nice you don’t want to say anything bad about them, even if you really find them a bit too sickly sweet. There is a naked honesty to the album that is hard to criticise, but too often it falls the wrong side of twee.
If you are looking for a collection of satisfying, heartfelt songs that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, then Sit Resist should definitely be on your shopping list. However, what Laura Stevenson & The Cans lack is - for want of a better word - “edge”. The songs themselves are certainly well constructed and catchy, but unfortunately they rarely transcend MOR indie.