The Strange and the Familiar

There's undoubtedly a bad band joke circulating in indie pop circles that Fonda are, well, fond of so many other bands' soft pop sounds. And, without a doubt, that list is a lengthy one, top-heavy with twee poppers like Heavenly and Go Sailor, as well as the surf 'n' turf sounds found on old Beach Boys albums. Pointing out these overly obvious influences, however, isn't intended to dismiss or detract from the swirling pop perfection of the Los Angeles-based band's The Strange and the Familiar. On the contrary, their second full-length shimmers and shines like so many timeless summer sounds of yesteryear, a perfect summer soundtrack or a midwinter pick-me-up. Fronted by Emily Cook, whose velvety voice recalls that of Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, Marine Research), Fonda is at its best on bittersweet laments such as "Cape May," where Cook manages to sound forlorn and lovelorn without dipping into gloom and doom doldrums. Not that depression threatens to overwhelm The Strange and the Familiar, anyway: There's never an up-tempo, optimistic hook more than a track or two away. California dreamin' rarely sounds this great.