Their intermittently chirpy vocals and occasionally prickly arrangements have drawn comparisons to Modest Mouse and the Shins – and you can hear shades of both bands on Everything Is Alive — but really, the first full-length effort from Cincinnati-based quartet Pomegranates beats with the jangly lo-fi heart of an early ‘90s alt-pop record. Recorded and mixed in just over a week – without, praise the Lord, the use of pitch correction – these 11 tracks give off the faintly dusty aroma of music that’s been sweated over in garages and rehearsal spaces, performed the old-fashioned way, and allowed to stand on its own merits, warts and all. Ultimately, these songs act as more of a serviceable business card for the band’s live shows than a truly unforgettable album, but the chiming guitars and sunny melodies create such a wonderfully warm vibe, you may find yourself putting the whole thing on repeat even if any of the tracks fail to leave a deep impression on their own. A trifle, perhaps, but one well worth owning. (Lujo Records 2008)
