Record Label: S/R
Genre: Indie
Band Link: www.fondamusic.com
Buy on Amazon.com

* COOZER PICK *

Fonda reminds me of Chicklet: male-female duo, indie-pop that is both jangly and dreamy, with slightly detached vocals filtered through a 60s psychedelic kaleidoscope.

This is of course a good thing – I love Chicklet. Fonda, who apparently have been around since the 90s, have that 90s rock feel (a less babydoll Lush comes to mind), while Chicklet channeled 60s psych as their starting point. But the echoey vocals, warm atmosphere, and hook-packed melodies are all there.

Every song here is brilliant. In particular, I love the male/female vocal interplay on “In the Coach Station Light” and the powerful, driven “My Heart is Dancing.” (And the opener “Better Days” starts with a guitar line that reminds me of Echo & The Bunnymen’s “In the Margins.” That’s apropos of nothing, but I do love me some Bunnymen.) Just like Chicklet, it’s hard to play favorites. Each song is so wonderfully crafted and poppy, chew, gooey, and sticky, like individually wrapped taffy. The hooks just snag onto your brain, right in the pleasure center. It’s like hot chocolate on Christmas morning.

Bottom Line: Indie-pop perfection.
Notable Tracks: Not a bad or mediocre tune on here.
Overall Rating: