Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
Much has changed for Moon by Moon since the project debuted with the Moon by Moon EP in 2018. While the core songwriting team of Etai Fuchs and Gabrielle “Gabbo” Franks has stayed consistent, they’ve been joined by an ever-rotating cast of characters; on It’s So Nice in Here, Don’t You Think So?, the first Moon by Moon full-length, they’ve locked in a new rhythm section: bassist Nolan Hill and percussionist Thomas Cummings. They’ve also, in the time since, relocated from Maryland to Philly; accordingly, they’ve shaken off some of the fuzz that dogged their earliest records in favor of a slicker, more urbane style of indie rock that recalls the city’s current weirdo rock exports like Alex G and Spirit of the Beehive.
The album’s lead single “Dogs” serves as a neat bridge from their earlier sound. A nervy, explosive indie rock track reminiscent of Built to Spill at their most immediate, it’s a nice way to signal that the essential building blocks of a Moon by Moon song are all still here, just intensified. B-side “House,” which appears early on in It’s So Nice in Here‘s tracklist, is a sparse, bouncy take on folk that gives a hint into the other side of the sound explored on the record. Fuchs sings from the perspective of a homeless person, asking directly, “Won’t you look at me? / Am I real? Am I human?” in a nice demonstration of the band’s songwriting: direct without being confrontational, politics without polemics.
It’s So Nice in Here is roughly split evenly between more traditional rock numbers and more atmospheric, spacier ones, and while Fuchs and Franks trade off vocals, they each tend to have their own niche; in general, Fuchs handles the more upbeat tracks while Franks takes on the softer ones. Many of the more immediate songs, then, are Fuchs’s. “Wedding Bands,” which buzzes with the kinetic energy of an early ’90s Creation Records deep cut, is anchored by one of Fuchs’ most memorable melodies, and the opening “Twisted Fingers” splits both modes down the middle to approximate an emo-tinged take on classic folk rock. It lands on Franks, then, to carry the off-kilter single “The Eye,” which sounds like a slowcore rendition of the Wow! signal. Franks also handles the album’s last couple tracks. The five-minute “Freshman Year” is a tender, hushed ode to “los[s] in a deeper sense,” and the album’s finale might well be the best Moon by Moon song yet.
“Wrong Thing” pushes their vocals to the background as the song fades in from its chorus, Franks only fully coming into focus when they plead for “somebody else [to] take the wheel.” From there the song begins an ever-upward trajectory, bass crashing in 90 seconds in, a guitar line buzzing to life. When the band repeats the chorus, every element’s present, clamoring for attention, but it’s Franks’ unaffected delivery that stands out: “thought I’d been doing the right thing / turns out I’m doing the wrong thing / maybe I’ll try doing nothing.” The resignation in their voice matches the lyrics, but behind them, the band plays on like they’re fighting for their lives. Even if they’re not doing the right thing, Moon by Moon might as well keep on going.
Disappointing / Average/ Good / Great / Phenomenal
It’s So Nice in Here, Don’t You Think So? is out July 11th.
––
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Alternative is ad-free and 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us produce more content and promote more great new music, please consider donating to our Patreon page, which also allows you to receive sweet perks like free albums and The Alternative merch. And if you want The Alternative delivered straight to your inbox every month, sign up for our free newsletter. Either way, thanks for reading!