New View

Personnel: Malcolm Perkins (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jonathan Rosen (vocals, piano, organ, synthesizer); Noah Hecht (vocals, drums, percussion); Dorian DeAngelo (electric guitar); Michael Rosen (piano, organ, synthesizer).
Audio Mixer: Clemens Knieper.
Recording information: Sunnyland Studio.
Photographer: Joe Denardo.
On New View, Eleanor Friedberger's solo work remains as laid-back and straightforward as her music with the Fiery Furnaces was lively and complex. Recorded with her band Icewater after a move to upstate New York, her third album reaffirms that one of her greatest gifts as a solo artist is the fresh personality she brings to classic rock stylings that could seem stuffy in almost anyone else's hands. She plays into -- and against -- those traditions skillfully: A slight Laurel Canyon echo graces "All Known Things'" ruminations, and the folky standout "Never Is a Long Time" is one of her finest and most timeless-sounding songs yet. Meanwhile, she combines lyrics like "I'm opening a tree museum/That's my new hobby" with music that sounds borrowed from the Band on "Open Season" and offers a sweet peek into a relationship's give-and-take ("treat me like a tennis pro") on "Because I Asked You," both of which reaffirm that her music will always be at least a little quirky. As on Personal Record, New View's warm, reassuring atmosphere is a perfect fit for Friedberger's affably rambling songwriting; the album is even bookended by songs about long walks, and at its best, it sounds like a conversation sweetened by music. On first listen, it feels like the best kind of background music, but more engaging tracks like the psychedelic love song "Does Turquoise Work" make themselves known soon enough. When Friedberger delivers something a little more dynamic, as on "Cathy with the Curly Hair" or "Sweetest Girl," a charmingly ramshackle rocker that suggests Cate LeBon is a kindred spirit, it's tempting to want more of the same. Still, when comfort sounds as good as New View does, it's hard to complain. ~ Heather Phares