The U of Pennsylvania's mixed-voice, 14-strong a cappella rock and pop group has been sharpening its vocal chops in various incarnations for over 20 years now, and it shows. We raved over their previous CD, "Quicksound," and it's clear from the first notes of Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Dido's "Don't Leave Home," Guster's "Careful" and Nelly Furtado's "Try" that the '04-'05 Loafers have a rich sound and confident professionalism far beyond their years. Strong covers of The Indigo Girls' "Mystery," Rachel Yamagata's "Worn Me Down," Coldplay's "Warning Signs," The Strokes' "12:51" and Vanessa Carlton's "White Houses" feature solid vocal percussion, sweet leads and nice background vocals. 14 songs in total, without a single weak cut. A beautiful, spirited set from one of our favorite collegiate ensembles! |