The Apache Relay
Self-Titled
So Recordings
Street: 04.22
The Apache Relay = Fleet Foxes + George Harrison
 
The Apache Relay, despite sporting a pretty badass (I don’t use the term lightly) and foreboding name, are actually twee in nature. As such, they are subject to the usual comparisons: Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and to some extent, Blitzen Trapper. The third track, “Terrible Feeling,” even has parallels with George Harrison. “Growing Pains” furthers the Fleet Foxes comparison, as lead singer Michael Ford, Jr. is a dead ringer for the patron saint of the nouveau Appalachian folk movement, Robin Pecknold. He’s also an able songwriter, keeping me on my toes throughout the album with surprising turns and bold songs, like “Forest for the Trees,” a stripped-down, Leonard Cohen–like meditation on identity crises. –Taylor Hale