Doublethink & String Theory

Doublethink, Dawn: Je Ne Crois (doublethinkonline.com). If the “alternative” genre still existed, Doublethink would be labeled as such. The band’s most overpowering influences come from the grunge era, and if pop culture ever cycles back to where it was in 1992 (as it very well may, once this decade-long ’80s revival finally ends), they’ll be ready for it. Fresh back from SXSW, the New London foursome is in the process of slickening themselves up with an image overhaul and a tight, accessible, radio-friendly EP filled with heavy rock tunes. The kickoff track, “She’s My Heroine,” opens with a siren-like squeal, a looped tom fill and a driving, balls-out riff that offers little to no apology. “Hypovolemia” (a disease in which one has a decreased blood volume) ends with the lines, “Now I’m ready to make you suffer/Now I’m ready to cut you out of me.” My pick for the single would be “Point the Way,” a catchy, aggressive pop song with a Smashing Pumpkins-sounding intro and an edgy vocal attitude that makes it stand out. —Mike Sembos

Doublethink plays an EP release show April 2 at The Space with Fear the State, Edison, Solfege Radio and Stranger Inside.

String Theory

(self-released, stringtheoryschoolofmusic.com). Here’s a collection of 12 standards featuring this understated yet spirited trio of just nylon-string guitar, upright bass and vocal. They’re all music teachers, and they exhibit fine control of their instruments while leaving room to get loose and playful. That looseness — the occasional rasp and pop of fingers against fretboard and bass neck, vocalist Josi Davis’ scatty turns, the overall live, organic feel of this recording — plays into the most distinctive element of this album: the audible pleasure the three musicians take in each other’s performing company. They’re tied-in, reacting to each other’s personalized riffs and fills as much as they react to the lyrical cues in these well-known songs, and the effect is endearing and occasionally surprising. They clearly had fun making this album, and they pass that good-naturedness along to the listener. —Brian LaRue

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