Pitchfork

Meneguar's debut LP, I Was Born at Night, was originally released on Magic Bullet Records in spring 2005. As that original pressing sold out, Troubleman Unlimited picked up the album, remixing and remastering it with a little help from Nicolas Vernhes (who has worked with Fiery Furnaces, Les Savy Fav, and Animal Collective among others). The album features seven tracks of sharp, jangly guitars and sing-along choruses-- songs that are reminiscent of mid-1990s indie rock, as if its dirtier, noisier, younger self grew up, took a shower, and got its shit together.

When things sync up, the songs are great. "Kids Get Cut" is overflowing with post-punk energy, with harmonizing guitar leads near its close, solidifying its awesomeness. "Hands Off" features another anthemic moment, when the music falls away and the band chants in unison. There are many of these grin-inducing, fist-pumping instances, and they bridge what is at heart a very straightforward, catchy, guitar-driven record.

Choruses are definitely the band's strength-- pretty much every song features some sort of rallying cry after each verse. During those verses, however, vocalist Jarvis Taveniere wavers between being full of vigor and being completely disinterested. On "A Few Minutes an Hour", he's talking as much as singing, seemingly bored throughout the first verse. This sort of vocal nonchalance is part of his style, but thankfully it's drowned out by his stronger moments.

There is a much bigger problem undercutting the entire disc, though: Containing only seven songs, the album isn't even 25 minutes long. You barely have time to settle in to the groove before it's wrapping up. It feels more like the appetizer before the main course, and maybe that's what Troubleman Unlimited has in mind. The band is apparently already working on a follow up, and if I Was Born at Night is meant to pique my interest, then consider it a success. It's a promising debut, and hopefully the band will deliver on that promise on future releases.