‘Simulacrum’ by Brooklyn’s Earth Dad is deceptive music. It sounds tender and delicate, yet goes hard. Unobtrusive guitars are reminiscent of Modest Mouse’s best era, bending out of tune and leaving space for the listener to imagine the massive, distorted riff Earth Dad chose to imply rather than deliver. It does the Stereolab-thing: you know it’s catchy and can’t tell if it’s mathy, so you listen again to better understand the song’s circularity. There is a mournful sadness but it suggests frustration more than longing: 

This is Show-Don’t-Tell music. Earth Dad’s sparse arrangements hit just right, giving you exactly the right amount of music and not one note more. The four-piece band has been playing together in various iterations since 2012 and their unity is tangible. Look at the top left corner of the artwork—this band understands the power of negative space.