Ted Leo

Oh hey guys, thanks for the birthday surprises! My 23rd birthday was a week ago, and I would have been satisfied with the fact that James Mercer came out with some new material, but it didn't stop there. Ted Leo and his pharmacists released their 7th(?) full length album last monday, and it's gonna get some major movement going at live shows. Their latest work, "The Brutalist Bricks" might not have the same sugary, joyous effect that "Tyranny of Distance" and "Shake the Sheets" had on me, but what it lacks in catchy sing-a-longs, it makes up for in non-stop power pop bliss. This is the perfect album for a summer drive with the windows rolled down. (I'm sure they planned to release it then, but they put in some extra hours to get it finished when they heard it was my birthday. Of course.) There is a lot to sink your teeth into with this album, so it's hard for me to know what song to feature, but I think I've got it. "One Polaroid a Day" is one of the catchier songs on the album, although he sings it in an uncharacteristically low voice on the album. This live acoustic version is in his usual style of singing. Amazing.