Soft Reeds – “This Affair”

Led by former Gold Republic front man Ben Grimes, the debut single by Soft Reeds is well-crafted art rock a la Talking Heads and Wire. Vocally, Grimes sounds similar to Sunset Rubdown’s Spencer Krug, though a bit less weird. Much like Sunset Rubdown and Frog Eyes, Soft Reeds’ songs on Soft Reeds Are Bastards are loaded with an often challenging tension that forces attention out of a listener.