Posted on: July 1, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

There is something remarkably satisfying about seeing a musician forgo the obvious and easy path and branch out in a new musical direction once their band calls it quits. The results are admittedly more often awkward than successful (Def Leppard as a country band anyone?), but every now and then the gamble pays off. Nightmare of You formed out of the wreckage of Long Island hardcore heroes Movie Life, where Brandon Reilly put in time as a guitarist.

Despite his harder edge background, Reilly picked himself up and formed the more melodic, Brit pop-influenced band Nightmare of You and has consistently churned out some of the better songs to come out of the East Coast indie pop scene in the past couple of years. On Infomaniac, the band’s second LP and finest effort, Reilly and crew have shied away from some of the more danceable beats that dominated their last effort and have decided to embrace everyone from The Smiths to Squeeze.

There are a few weak tracks, like the Morrissey-inspired “Amsterdam,” that just comes off whiny, but the stronger songs, like the playfully meandering “A Pair of Blue Eyes” more than make up for any small slips along the way.

Top Tracks: “A Pair of Blue Eyes,” “Please Don’t Answer Me” and “Good Morning, Waster”

Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Nightmare of You – Infomaniac/CD/2009/12 tracks/The Bevonshire Label/www.nightmareofyou.com

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