Shapes and Sizes are releasing their self-titled album July 11th on Asthmatic Kitty. Since my mail’s been screwy for about a month now, I didn’t get to hear it until this past week; but let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Shapes and Sizes seamlessly combine elements of jazz, pop, rock and folk into one big, beautiful blend of modern music. Top that off with vivid imagery and a non-traditional approach to writing about lovey-dovey stuff, and the result has a good shot at being one of the best albums of the year.

MP3: Shapes and Sizes – Wilderness
Can kisses be friends? Shapes and Sizes sure seem to think so. I guess there are different types of kisses, just like there are different kinds of people. But just when you think they’re about to present the case for why they’ve befriended a display of affection, a chorus of whistles segue nicely into into an explanation into why Suzanne can’t be their tribal leader because of her personality. It’s bonkers to try and put into words, but not only does it work well enough within the song to be tolerated, but it goes past that into the realm of impressive.

BONUS MP3: Shapes and Sizes – Island’s Gone Bad