Rob Crow’s pipes are one of the most readily identifiable traits of perennial easy-listening indie rock favorites Pinback, but the band’s strengths in its rhythm section and steady plodding melancholic style have kept his real fantastic riff writing and catchy hooks from shining through. It’s only been in his more experimental home recordings and side projects that he’s focused his compact rough-edged rock-pop into songs that max out at roughly 2 minutes and pack all their ideas concisely into undeniably memorable bursts. Some of his strongest writing has been with Thingy, in which he paired his own silky vocals with harmonies from a female counterpoint, and featured the drumming of my personal favorite Mario Rubalcaba from Rocket from the Crypt, and Clikitat Ikatowi. The band is wound insanely tight, and the sometimes frivolous lyrics give their albums a breezy and humorous tone (see their acoustic ode to Star Wars “O.B.1″, one of his many dedications to the series), but on darker songs like “Blueprint” and “Letterbomb” the tightness of the band, though evidently catchy and refined, can leave you breathless. There isn’t a better pop writer working in indie rock.

Thingy - Letterbomb