CD of The Week

Wilmington, DE’s own indie poppers The Spinto Band return with Shy Pursuit, their first proper album since 2008 (though we did get the Slim and Slender EP in ’09). We got to know the Spinto lads in 2005, when their undeniable single “Oh, Mandy” became a hit in the indie rock world, finding the group an overseas fanbase and landing the tune in a Sears ad.

The signature vocals and backing harmonies of Nick Krill and Thomas Hughes are still The Spinto Band’s trademark sound and on full display throughout Shy Pursuit. You know it’s The Spintos right away from jaunty, bouncy melodies of the gentle opener “Cookie Falls.” “Muesli” incorporates some of Vampire Weekend’s Afro-beat-via-indie pop influence into the mix. The jangly “Keep Them Alive,” originally from the Slim and Slender EP, was re-recorded and made even janglier on Shy Pursuit. The Spintos’ bouncy rhythms and lo-fi keyboards abound in the ten new tunes, spread out over barely a half hour and the album closes out with maybe the strongest track on Shy Pursuit, the swaying “The Living Things,” with its island-music vibe.

The Spinto Band will be playing up and down the East Coast in May to promote Shy Pursuit, including a residency every Tuesday night in May at Kung Fu Necktie.