North Carolina

North Carolina:

The Love Language

CITY: Raleigh
SONG THAT GOT US: "sparxxx"
MYSPACE ADDRESS:myspace.com/thelovelanguage
RECORD LABEL: Merge

WHY THEM? Imagine if the Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser underwent a major life change that put him in a really, really good mood and it might give you a sense of Stuart McLamb. The Love Language singer, songwriter, and sole permanent member wrote a break-up record that, over the course of a year, morphed into an ebullient, rambling paean to rudderlessness. The result is Libraries, a debut album that evokes both Neutral Milk Hotel and The Life Pursuit–era Belle & Sebastian. When it comes to sweeping, there's a fine line between Phil Spector and Coldplay; McLamb always seems to fall on the right side.

BONUS BIT! On their tour this summer, the Love Language are playing with everyone from labelmates Superchunk to Public Enemy.

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