![](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/black_rabbits.jpg\")
<\/center><\/p>\nThe Black Rabbits<\/strong> \u2013 Hypno Switch<\/em> <\/p>\n Alpine White<\/strong> \u2013 The Hale EP<\/em> <\/p>\n Abbie Barrett & the Last Date<\/strong> \u2013 The Triples: Volume I<\/em>
\nI\u2019m told that this group resides here in my relatively small hometown of Asheville NC. They must be recent transplants, because nobody here knows \u2018em, and I don\u2019t see their name around town. No matter: wherever they\u2019re from, the group\u2019s Hypno Switch<\/em> is catchy, edgy indie-rock with an arrangement aesthetic that\u2019s equal parts Interpol <\/strong>and classic rock. Songs like \u201cMy Baby Don\u2019t\u201d hook the listener early, yet unfold into something more interesting rather than remain content with a single hook. Seeming raised on a steady diet of the best of post-1960s rock \u2013 influences of the Who<\/strong>, the Clash<\/strong> and skinny-tie new wave can be heard in the various tracks \u2013 The Black Rabbits have a lot on offer. While most of the playing leans toward an ensemble approach, the interesting textures of the lead guitar solo on the title track (probably the best song on the disc, by the way) suggest that the band puts equal effort into writing the songs and delivering them in compelling ways.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/alpine_white.jpg\")
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\nThe breezy, plaintive \u201cWhen She Gets Home\u201d evokes memories of Aztec Camera<\/strong> and Crowded House<\/strong>. Assertive yet shimmering guitar lines give the songs on the EP a sort of dialed-back Belle and Sebastian<\/strong> vibe. San Francisco-based Alpine White craft clear, straightforward pop songs that move through interesting changes within their relatively short duration. \u201cAll the Weight\u201d has an odd, unsettling feel to it, almost as if the drummer is slowing the beat down every now and then. There\u2019s a contemplative, yearning feel to all four of the songs on the EP; one guesses that on a full-length, the group would expand their sonic approach a bit. But The Hale EP represents a promising start.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/abbie_barrett.jpg\")
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\nNormally I don\u2019t review three-song releases; it\u2019s hard to get much of a bead on an artist\u2019s approach in ten or fifteen minutes. But this one is pretty compelling. Fronted by a female vocalist who seems to sing in her natural voice — no pixie-girl or overwrought diva posturing here \u2013 the band trades in what is best described a singer-songwriter numbers (composed by the singer) delivered in a rocking fashion. A bit like Blondie<\/strong> without dated sonics, the songs convey a surprising amount of range. \u201cOn the Range\u201d sounds like Ennio Morricone<\/strong> crossed with A Camp<\/strong>, and the winsome \u201cDraw Me In\u201d sounds like an outtake from Pink Floyd<\/strong>\u2019s Obscured by Clouds<\/em> (albeit with female vocals). Here\u2019s looking forward to Volume II<\/em>.<\/p>\n
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