Based in the Boston Area, New Dakotas is a catchy power-pop act with members attending Tufts and Harvard. Their first release – a four-track self-titled EP – is an impressive showing that includes acoustic-led ballads (“Warming Song”), organ-laden trips (“I Can’t Spin It”), and perkier power-pop with jangly guitars (“Turn My Head Around”). Influences that include Fleet Foxes, Ben Folds, and Big Star are evident throughout — though overall, this is a project that produces an amiable sound all of their own, with evident solid musicianship and spirited, relatable vocals. The duo of Alasdair MacKenzie and Charles Winston have impressed on all four tracks here, with contributing efforts from guitarist Trevor LaVecchia, trumpeteer Sam Atallah, and Ryan Song on cello. Stream the EP below:
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