Right from the beginning, Princeton have aspired to be something more. This is the group, centered around Santa Monica twin brothers Matt & Jesse Kivel, who started making music while studying in London with their Bloomsbury EP, about the famed literary circle. Yet their indie-pop has always been more simple and enjoyable than intricate and accomplished – until now. With Remembrance of Things To Come, Princeton take a huge leap forward into fulfilling their aspirations.
Princeton largely keep the sunny disposition, and some of the pop backbeat, of full-length debut Cocoon of Love (QRO review), but now build around high, lilting, almost choir-boy like vocals, along with strings and hollow, xylophone-like percussion. In some ways it harkens back to the high medieval Maypole, but also heads into the future thanks to indietronic tones. It’s certainly an unusual listening experience upon first, or even second spin, but the singular style rewards, starting with the title track single/opener (QRO mp3 review). An unusual sound feels natural.
Admittedly, sometimes Princeton can go overboard or otherwise misstep on Remembrance. The woodwind piece "Holding Teeth" is too long for a woodwind piece, while "Louise" gets a little too high up in the band’s new atmosphere. When the pop backbeat to penultimate "This Weather, A Swimmer" goes away in verse, the lilting Kivel vocals are too prominent. And they probably didn’t need the out-and-out choirboy close "Milly" (which ends the record with the sound turning abruptly down, like someone just twisted the knob down to zero – or, if you’re listening on an iPhone, like you’re getting a call and your phone is cutting in on your music).
But most of the pieces succeed, some tremendously so like "Remembrance of Things To Come" or the following "Florida". And Princeton waltz into a danceable brightness on "To the Alps" and the cheery disco "Louise" (Princeton haven’t given up naming their songs after people – real or imagined – but have moved from geographic titles inspired by the Far East on previous records to American locals such as "Florida", "Grand Rapids", and "Oklahoma" on Remembrance).
Cocoon of Love was some sunny SoCal indie-pop that aspired/intended to be something more. With Remembrance of Things To Come, Princeton have become something decidedly more.
MP3 Stream: "Florida"