American Haiku

A loose aesthetic unifies the crackling, fuzzy melodies of the songs on American Haiku’s debut EP, called, simply, e.p. Imagine a band like noise-pop phenom Versus writing lo-fi power pop. Or one of those Louisville, Kentucky, bands from the early ’90s, like Squirrelbait — except with the influence of emo from later in the decade. The album’s lead tune, “Future Me,” is a collage imbued with a dreamy sense of wonder, while “Grey Magic” is a crunchy, forceful rocker with a playful, melodic sensibility. It’s possible these guys were inspired in part by the Descendents; given the evidence on the closing track, “Dream Catcher,” there has to be someone in the band who loves layered sounds and reverb. Though there’s plenty of melancholic atmosphere here, the overall effect is refreshingly gritty and joyous.