On their self-titled debut, Detroit's all-female indie rock group
Slumber Party crafts cool, fuzzed-out guitar pop that recalls
the Velvet Underground -- if that band was populated entirely by
Nicos and
Moe Tuckers. Producer
Matthew Smith (
Outrageous Cherry,
Volebeats) lends his characteristically warm touch to songs like "Sooner or Later" and "Certain Versions," which contrasts nicely with Aliccia Berg's chilled, baby-
Nico vocals. From gently bouncy pop songs like "Why Do I Care?," "Ten Little Pills," and "Fantasy" to lullabies like "Trouble of My Own" and "Any Other Day,"
Slumber Party mixes psychedelic ambience with bubblegum song structures and harmonies. The slightly bluesy "All in the Way" and drum-machine driven "I'm an Example" even branch out from the group's signature sound, giving
Slumber Party a surprising amount of depth and diversity for a debut album. ~ Heather Phares