Say Hi’s fifth album, The Wishes and the Glitch, reflects a maturing of their style, even as their name change does. (Previously, the band was called Say Hi To Your Mom.)

The band’s only permanent member, Eric Elbogen, recorded the album in a bedroom, doing almost all the singing and instrumentation himself. Yeah, I recorded an album in my bedroom once. I had a nice Casio demo beat, a Fisher Price guitar...my mom was really impressed. But I don’t remember it sounding like this album. I’m not using that dreaded word “overproduced,” but there are no snags in these songs to break your concentration. That leaves the rough voice of singer Eric Elbogen free to snag all he wants, sometimes running in a sweet lull along with the music, and sometimes breaking out with a honking energy to keep you paying attention. 

Say Hi maintains their indie street cred without ever resorting to the shoegazing “wah wah wah” nonsense of so many bands these days. They have a palpable energy that stands out from the crowd.  

“We can’t stop this thing from what it’s gonna be,” Elbogen assures us on “Oboes Bleat and Triangles Ting.” You got that right. This band is going places. Maybe weird places, but places nonetheless.

Favorite Track: “Toil and Trouble”