Never heard of Schooner? Then, boy, have you been missing out! This Chapel Hill-based five-piece is lead by the brother-sister team of Reid and Kathryn Johnson, but rarely has a sibling relationship created something this harmonious. On their excellent sophomore effort, they blow through 16 tracks of swooning vintage pop, fuzzy Guided By Voices-ish rock and woozy Sinatra/Hazlewood-like country for an overall effect that's equal parts dreamy, deadpan and doomed. All of the wistful lap steel, crystalline harmonies and mournful organ parts are anchored by Reid's disenchanted croon, which is reminiscent at once of Morrissey's and Stephin Merritt's. And on the country-ish ballads, like "Married," when he's joined by his sister's spectral soprano, their interplay is akin to that on the recent Arthur And Yu debut; it's intimate, narcotic and addictive. Despite song titles like "Pray For You To Die" and the equally dark lyricism of tracks like "Leaving Your Room" and "Hospital Floor," not all of this haunting record is doomy and aching. There are uptempo numbers as well—"Carrboro" and "They Always Do!" wrap stories of bruised women and cynical men around chugging, '60s-inspired hooks and melodies so beautiful that they are incongruous with the stark sadness of their lyrics. "I Would Tell You That I'm Stuck" is the one track that's out of place, but that's actually a good thing. With its lo-fi, almost punk throttle and ease with the f-word, it is the black eye this pristine collection was asking for. It keeps things just scruffy enough to remind listeners that, though the rest of the sedate love songs on the disc may sound lovely, underneath their layers of mellow reverb lurks a dark and unflinching heart.

Tracklist For Hold On Too Tight:
01. Proem
02. Carrboro
03. Pray For You To Die
04. There's Enough To Do
05. James St.
06. Tears In Your Ears
07. Leaving Your Room
08. Married
09. They Always Do!
10. I Would Tell You That I'm Stuck
11. End Of Time
12. Ominous Bird
13. Hospital Floor
14. Strange Alibis
15. Alston Ave.
16. Ladybug

www.schoonermusic.com

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