After playing to a packed house at TT The Bear’s in January, “ultracharming” songwriter Henry Wolfe returns to Boston this month to perform songs from his recent debut LP, Linda Vista, and preview new material. Produced by Nico Aglietti and Aaron Older of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros fame, Linda Vista has beguiled critics from Rolling Stone (3.5 stars) American Songwriter, and Nylon and led the LA Times to dub Wolfe a “face to watch” in 2011. Recently his song “Someone Else” was featured in the ATO Pictures film Terri starring John C. Reilly. --The Deli Staff
Friendly People’s debut, self-titled 3-song EP gives a concise taste of a promising young Cambridge, MA-based band. Their jangly indie pop is peppered with hints of Americana, roots rock and folk with vocals that owe a debt to Neil Young. The EP’s clear highlight is its opening track—their namesake song—“Friendly People”. It’s a tremendous, positive track buoyed by a horn section in the bridge which lends a mariachi feel. “A Lot of Work To Do” brings out Harvest-era Neil Young, starting as a plaintive acoustic ditty which builds slowly into a passionate electric number. Closing track, “Branches”, follows the same acoustic-to-electric path. As the song builds, it introduces tribal rhythms that are reminiscent of 80s indie-punk legends, the Volcano Suns. Friendly People are scheduled to record their debut full-length in March. If the Friendly People EP is indicative of what we can expect from this young group’s next batch of tunes it will be a record to keep an eye on later in 2012.--George Dow
