By Flash Steinbeiser

TOP TRACK: “KINDLING FOR FIRE”
BOTTOM TRACK: “UP LATE”

In We Could Be Arsonists, the alt-rockers of Loquat make a banana split when they should have stuck with a simple ice cream cone. The group tries to expand its palate with electronic rhythm lines but ultimately saturates the final product with over-polished tones better suited for a Top 40 hit. The album’s only saving grace is the ear bending wails of Kylee Swenson. When she lets loose, like in “Kindling for Fire,” every other sound becomes irrelevant. Sadly, tracks like these serve as a bittersweet reminder of how raw this album could have been.

2 Nancies