Arthur & Yu

In Camera

(Hardly Art)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

As the flagship band for a new label, Hardly Art, created by Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman, Arthur & Yu may be expected to make some sort of bold artistic statement that differentiates themselves (and their future labelmates) from the indie juggernaut that introduced Nirvana and The Shins into the mainstream. But instead, In Camera rolls along unassumingly, more concerned with quiet indie-pop pleasures than mission statements.

Arthur & Yu's Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott have crafted a winsome collection highlighted by "There Are Too Many Birds," "Lion's Mouth" and "Come to View (Song for Neil Young)." The duo take their cues from psychedelic-tinged pop music of the '60s and '70s, while also occasionally calling to mind similarly retro-channeling groups Devendra Banhart, Saturday Looks Good to Me and Isobel Campbell-era Belle & Sebastian.

Olsen and Westcott are far from the first to arrive at these inspirational intersections, but they write with such easygoing charm and memorable melody that they set themselves apart from the pack. In Camera would have fit in just fine on the venerable Sub Pop roster; as it stands, the album serves as an auspicious beginning for Hardly Art.