New Music: Hospitality – ‘Friends of Friends,’ ‘Betty Wang’

For my money, the mega-jams on Hospitality’s near-perfect self-titled debut are the gentle “Eighth Avenue” and “Liberal Arts,” two twee tracks that give Fred Thomas a run for his King of Indie-Pop crown. But singles “Friends of Friends” and “Betty Wang” come pretty close, offering singer Amber Papini’s coyly post-Chrissie Hynde melodic acrobatics and the band’s thoughtful, full-bodied arrangements. (“Betty Wang” closes with a downright Nels Cline-y guitar spasm.) Related: would anyone complain if I just posted indie-pop all year? Is there any reason not to?

Hospitality – Friends of Friends by MergeRecords

Hospitality – Betty Wang by MergeRecords

Hospitality is out 1/31 on Merge Records, who love us and want us to be happy.