The Skooners

Annie Zaleski
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | 12:05 a.m.

Though it’s been two years in the making, second Skooners albumGrow a Moustache, Change Your Name aligns well with the current sound of indie. Production that avoids being too glossy or too lo-fi gives the music a timeless feel, and the Vegas quintet’s songwriting touchstones — power-pop, keyboard-rock boogie and mod-soul shuffling — are also fad-free. Highlights tend toward the latter sound, whether decorated with dainty strings (“Apples and Oranges”) or cotton-candy keys (“Highway Robbery”). “New Year’s Day,” a soft-glow jam in the Ted Leo vein, and sinister ska stroll “The Crow” add edge to the album’s whimsical vibe. But in the end, too few of the songs are memorable enough to make Moustache more than a pleasant spin.

— Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly