Josh and Mer are Portland, Oregon natives Josh Schroeder and Meredith Adelaide, who just happened to meet on a set where they were both working as actors. They began talking and quickly found they had a lot in common, which led them to playing music together and eventually writing songs together. Needless to say, they now have an album out. Planet Music is the indie-pop-rock duo’s first achievement and it is just dripping with breezy harmonies that have received comparisons to that of Rilo Kiley, Metric, and The Swell Season. The album exhibits a perfect mix of acoustic guitar, piano, and peppered synths on each track, which all bring forth impressions of tranquil, star-soaked nights.
Planet Music begins with upbeat guitar-buzz riffs and hand-claps on “From the Sea,” but then gets a lot more stripped down on later tracks “Spaces” and Where Are You,” which is where the album really begins to thrive thematically. On “Spaces” vocals are effortlessly mended together, chanting, “When the spaces fly / on a spaceless night." Suddenly you’re experiencing the gravitational pull of Planet Music. The vocals only get dreamier when paired with the twinkling synths and guitars on “Morning Eden Mars,” another track that only gets better as each second wears on. The album ends on the star-streaked track “Your Majesty,” which is a favorite due in part to the expansive vocals from Adelaide against orchestral strings and strutting piano.
Schroeder and Adelaide take turns with lead and background vocals, which really helps to balance what is undoubtedly their strongest attribute. There is a wholeness to Planet Music that is maintained in it’s softly building and expressive sound. Josh and Mer stay true to what they know, but show they're not afraid to experiment with reverb and drawn-out synths.
Josh and Mer released their collection of interstellar love songs on Valentine’s Day and you can stream it over at their bandcamp website, but it might also profit you to snag a copy of the album because the packaging and artwork is pretty awesome. While the band has not prepared a list of North America tour dates yet, the band has plans to visit the Northeast and have made Buffalo a priority. Josh and Mer will be at CMJ this year, and will also be playing a showcase at SXSW. I wouldn’t doubt it if you started to hear a lot more about this band in the ensuing months.
Grade: B+
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