They say history repeats itself. For what that's worth musically, we should all be overjoyed if '60s music makes a comeback--especially if it's as good as the output from New York's Semi-Gloss.

A wispy delight of an album, The Falling Kind combines light, jangly guitars with lounge-inspired keyboards and breathy vocals from Paris-bred lead singer Verena Wiesendanger.

The influence of lounge music and '60s pop is present on nearly every song, from the poppy "Caroline" to the slow ballad of the title track.

Semi-Gloss obviously wears its influences on its sleeve, but it's so damn good, it's impossible to call it derivative. Echoes of the Velvet Underground, Love and Burt Bacharach abound on The Falling Kind, but Wiesendanger's vocals and excellent drumming from Joey Waronker, best known for his work with Beck, ground Semi-Gloss firmly in the ... well, whatever we call this decade.

Lyrically, Semi-Gloss focuses on love--lost, found and otherwise. Guitarist Jordy Mokriski's sunny pop matches perfectly with the lyrical longing he writes into "Baby's Changed" and "Caroline," a sweet, post-break up ditty that ranks as one of the best songs on the album.

The wisely chosen first track, "Stephanie's Boy," also stands out, with sugary keyboards and vocals that practically define breathless anticipation. Also, any song is automatically improved by including the name "Stephanie," but that might just be the reviewer's preference.

Most of the songs on The Falling Kind are fast-paced love songs, but Semi-Gloss can play a good ballad, too. The title track, a five-minute meditation on those who fall in love too quickly, has a slow grace and an earnestness hard to find in music today.

Perhaps that is what sets this album ahead of so many others--it's an honest album that isn't afraid to say it's okay to dance in the sunshine, mourn the loss of a true love and kiss in public, all at the same time.

--Stephanie M. Kuenn
Cardinal Arts
The Digital Cardinal
University of Wisconsin - Madison
The Digital Cardinal, University of Wisconsin-Madison