I don't quite know what it is, but there is something very charming about New Skin For Old Children. On a first listen, the debut full-length from Nocturnal Habits, fronted by Justin Trosper of Unwound fame (Sara Lund returns as well) is an underwhelming release. Yet, there are tiny things about each song that reveal themselves on repeated listens, whether they be an addicting bassline, a vocal melody that sticks in your head, or an endearing lyric. The first half of the album is quite excellent, effortlessly mixing indie rock, post-punk, and post-rock together with small little experimental quirks worked in throughout. There's a couple of duds in the second half, one of which is unfortunately the closer, but songs like "Staircase" and "Ice Island" are too good to pass up. Though it's a little inconsistent, it's a grower, and as such, this rating is certainly not set in stone for the near future.
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