Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2011 by sharing some music from a highly diggable band named We Can't Enjoy Ourselves. Don't be fooled by their name, it is very easy to enjoy their great songs.
We Can't Enjoy Ourselves – A Charming Man
This band is from Brooklyn, New York, and in their words, they make "sprightly jaunty pop music." It is an apt description. They are the kind of band that sounds instantly familiar yet still stands out. Rather than being lazy and derivative, We Can't Enjoy Ourselves sounds like they have assimilated their favorite music and made it their own. When I listen to the song posted here, "A Charming Man," the music first evokes "Just Like Honey," but instead of a wall of fuzz, the song reveals itself to be a classic-sounding pop song with jangly guitars and "ooh & aah" backing vocals. The singer Giovanni has a distinct voice that reminded me first of Alec Ounsworth from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. The latter is certainly a good comparison for the clever lyrics throughout their self-released album One Belongs Here More Than You.
The album is available for free here. Check it out, you will definitely enjoy it. The seven songs show a lot of promise and I would not be surprised if 2011 is a very good year for We Can't Enjoy Ourselves.