reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Margo The Nuclear So and So's - The Daytrotter Sessions EP

Five lazily melancholy tunes laid down by the Tennessee indie-pop mini-orchestra as part of Illinois studio Daytrotter's ongoing attempt to basically get every cool band in the world to drop in and have their thing captured live. Songwriter Richard Edwards and company have rarely sounded so countrified, and that's a good thing - they know a little thing or two about cinematic downerdom, and it's never been grabbed in as vibrantly naked form as is showcased here. "Broadripple is Burning" and "Love Song for a Schuba's Bartender" are almost painfully evocative, and all these tracks manage to come off as vulnerable but not ragged. The instrumental performances are largely solid, with the occasional less-than-perfect bits adding to the songs' allure. This is a great listen for meditative moods - evocative and emotionally savory, not neither too long nor too depressing. - Colin Kincaid