The spirit of C86 is strong with New York City’s Jeanines. They do no-frills guitar pop that focuses the listener’s attention where it should be focused: The harmonies and hooks riding the jangling guitar and rubbery bass lines. Their new album is the crisp and charming Don’t Wait For A Sign. Many of the LP’s songs seem to shoulder into the space between crash pop, twee and jangle pop, the first of which, to our ears, gives the material a sense of immediacy and punch. There also are elements of ’60s folk rock that amplify the charm factor. Concision is the order of the day, as none of the 13 songs breaks the two-minute mark. But we think it is a confident and adept choice to end a song where the song should be ended rather than to hit some artificial length related to radio play that isn’t in the cards anyway. Our user’s guide to this album is: Spring is here and these songs will add plenty of sunshine and energy to bridge you to the summer; repeat as needed.
Jeanines are Alicia Jeanine (vocals/guitar) and Jed Smith (bass/drums). Don’t Wait For A Sign is out now via Slumberland Records.