Remember May

Feather (slated for release this Saturday, October 9, at Casselman's) is the first batch of new recordings from Remember May since its debut EP in 2007. Led by the muscular vocals of Amanda Capper, whose voice often recalls Linda Perry, the outfit starts off solid with "Silverplume," a lumbering rocker built on a propulsive bass line and Capper's sultry croon, but it loses its footing on "In My Own Way," thanks to anemic-sounding drums and a distinct lack of continuity: Although the proggy breakdown after the midpoint is interesting, it makes the tune sound like an entirely different ditty altogether. Capper's expressive vocals on "Comparatively" save an otherwise unremarkable song from being completely forgettable. The band finishes strong on closer "Caged Bird," which opens with a riff and rhythm straight out of the Pearl Jam playbook and goes on to showcase the best performances on the album.