MUSIC PICKS: APR 22 - 28
For an album that's quite the downer lyrically, Null's 2 for flinching—released March 26—is a refreshing piece of DIY rock. The EP employs grittiness that doesn't get lost in itself, maintaining its integrity thanks to quick-changing melodic instrumentals from Val Brown and Chuck Pack and the clear, constant vocals of Emily Parr. Parr's voice is low and plain, a stable slab of sound against backing instruments that shift as a heart rate does when it goes from resting to fight-or-flight. And that suits a work whose themes lie in strife, both inward and outwards; on the opener "Air Supply ...