Some records are just instantly likeable. You can’t quite peg the exact reason, but the songs seem friendly, familiar, like you heard them before on some tiny college radio station you picked up in your car during a Spring Break road trip. The Shout Out Louds have given us such a record, titled Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. Die-hard fans have had a version this album for a while now, but its domestic Capitol Records release gives us remastered sonic goodness as well as some new tracks. Leave it to yet another Swedish band to make American indie rock better than we can. The album kicks off with the irresistible opener “The Comeback”, sounding like a strange combination of Dinosaur Jr. and The Rentals. Fuzzy guitars and gruff-yet-melodic vocals mixed with some Moog keys makes for some toe-tapping goodness. “Very Loud” has been passed around on the web from iPod to iPod, and yet hearing it in the context of the whole album breathes new life into this already fantastic song. “Oh Sweetheart” adds a bit of twang to their indie pop, sounding like a lost b-side to the Old 97’s Too Far To Care. That touch of country is torn away on “100 Degrees”, giving us a straight ahead garage pop track guaranteed to cause instantaneous dancing by all hipsters within a 100 foot radius of your stereo. Don’t believe me? Have you tried it? Their driving pop goodness varies in style just enough to keep you are on your toes and interested from start to finish. Bands like the Shout Out Louds are giving pop music a long overdue kick in the pants. Don’t resist their charm. Making pop music safe again is a noble deed, so reward them by giving Howl Howl Gaff Gaff a well deserved listen.

Shout Out Louds
Capitol

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