SOUTHERLY, MINMAE, THE MINOR THIRDS (Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington) It’s easy for bands to get caught in a rut—playing the same set night after night, poring over every last note with a fine-tooth comb. But trying to brush out all the kinks can leave things a bit sterile, which Portland’s own Southerly are most certainly not. They proved it late last year while writing, recording, and releasing a song a week. Though it appears the band didn’t quite fulfill its stated goal—working continually from September 11th to the New Year—the seven songs from the first seven weeks are a testament to honest creativity and melancholic ability. Most tracks waltz in solemn and pretty, colored by clean pianos, atmospheric synths, buzzing guitars, and driven drums forced inside by the dark, chilly Portland fall. More important than any one particular instrument or lyric, though, is the airy spontaneity of the project—a perfect portrait of a time and place. ANDREW R TONRY

MP3:
Southerly - Buying In (from the “song a week” sessions)

Photo by Heidi Wirz