"Indie" has become a throwaway term if, as some online music zines are doing, it's applied to Hockey. Not only is this Portland dance band signed to a major label, their songs are as accessible as modern rock gets.
Sure, there's an element of angst in these tracks. Lead singer Ben Grubin riffs on the marginal social utility of his uber-coolness in "Too Fake." The glossy synth riff and splashy guitars that accompany his monologue provide a loud-quiet-loud soundtrack. The mellow electric piano of "Work" never interferes with verses that lament responsibility.
But the appeal of Hockey is their essential rock 'n' roll innocence, heard in the acoustic charm of "Four Holy Photos."
Hockey aren't indie; they're just good.
