This is the first full-length release from San Francisco-based
Loquat following several locally released EPs and compilation tracks since 2002. They seem now to have fully settled into their sound, which is a pleasing amalgam of jangly guitars, gauzily pretty female vocals, polite electronic flourishes, and the occasional breakbeat. The result comes across just a bit like
the Sundays, updated for the post-
Massive Attack generation. Highlight tracks on
It's Yours to Keep include the gently encouraging "Slow, Fast, Wait & See," the dry but rewarding "Rocks" (which actually sounds a bit like a tribute to
Over the Rhine), and the nicely crafted "Need Air," on which a soft bed of guitar arpeggios and gently swooping vocals is suddenly muscled up with a funky beat that kicks in about halfway through. Sometimes
Loquat meanders a bit more than is advisable, and there are tracks that miss being spectacular for want of a really good hook, but overall this is an impressive effort from a band that will definitely bear watching in the future. ~ Rick Anderson