dream friends

This EP is a one-two Haligonian punch that will split (pun intended) your lip and leave you sucking its tangy aftertaste till you flip the tape to get another faceful. Quaker Parents bring a dose of helium-inflated ’faxpop that hops and reverses quicker than a Dukes of Hazzard car chase. Haphazardly tossing off bons mots and melodic firecrackers, the Parents bask forever in a summer of magical thinking. Dream Friends crank the grunge dial up a notch but match their tapemates’ cultural literacy and easy hookery lick for finger-lickin’ lick. True to their name, these aural explorers hack at flora of overgrown dreamscapes with serrated blades, dodging overhanging fronds and staring straight into the unreal haze. Grip and ponder: where would we be without parents and friends? - Weird Canada

Quaker Parents return with more restless, shoestring pop; combining a plethora of clever quips, jittery guitars and stripped-down drums.“Teeshirts” is a standout with its anthemic, ’60s girl-group chorus. The flip side is a decidedly scrappier affair: Dream Friends muster up all their wide-eyed enthusiasm and earn their keep on their debut outing. As everything wanders into the red, these young turks churn out idiosyncratic pop songs about moms and smells and being lost in thought. On each side of this tape, there are great, shimmering moments created by making the most of something. Hot Money continues to bring the charm full-tilt. - The Coast