The debut album from Overseas came out a few weeks ago. The quartet — Will Johnson, David Bazan, and Bubba and Matt Kadane — sound not unlike you’d expect: Bazan and Johnson have made their names on engagingly harrowing personal narratives, while the Kadane brothers were at the core of the beloved slowcore bands Bedhead and The New Year.

Admittedly, “not unlike you’d expect” makes for a pretty solid listening experience. Bazan and Johnson trade off lead vocal duties, but as neither is exactly a slouch in that department, it’s far from a bad thing. (For those who, like me, are fans of the Kadanes’ vocals, The New Year’s website promises “news later in the year” — a promising note if ever there was one.) Essentially, this could pass for The New Year’s fourth album: there’s the same cathartic release, the same slow-burning approach to songwriting that’s characterized much of the Kadanes’ work.

Consider these good times to be a slowcore band, then. Numero Group reissued Codeine’s discography last year to great acclaim; and groups like Michigan’s Shores have carried on the musical tradition. It’s hard to shake — those languorous notes, vocals on the brink of catharsis. And if it brings us one step closer to a Red Stars Theory reunion tour, I’ll sign on for just about anything.

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