How To Make Friends By Telephone
Big Stir, 2024
9/10
Listen to How To Make Friends By Telephone
The Akron, Ohio rockers Librarians With Hickeys return with a 3rd album, where plenty of tuneful guitar pop enters the infectious 12 tracks.
The bright melodies of “Hello Operator” opens with Ray Carmen’s soaring voice and flowing guitars, and “Listening” follows with Mike Crooker’s guitar, bass, keys and backing vocals adding much warmth to the breeziness.
“Out Of Your Hair” and “What Happened To My Heart” arrive in the middle. The former uses acoustic guitar and a hint of dreaminess via a nostalgic feel, while the latter is an intimate moment that blends the duo’s guitars and voices with harmonies and emotion.
Landing close to the end, the quick and scrappy “Have You Heard” is the album’s best and benefits much from driving guitars and thick keys, and “Everything Will Be All Right” exits with Crooker’s bouncy bass and well timed mellotron making for a textured and memorable finish.
Librarians With Hickeys released their debut in 2020 and it didn’t take long for them to throw their hat in the ring as one of today’s best in the area of power-pop and jangly rock, as evidenced by these tunes that you won’t soon forget.
Travels well with: The Half/Cubes- Pop Treasures; The Armoires- Octoberland