The LA band Everest’s sophomore release, On Approach, combines the churning guitars and piano of early 00’s Brit rock with the new harmonies and American folk sound of Fleet Foxes to create a safe, love-lorn album.

On album opener “Let Go”, Everest pounds out a sound that is incredibly reminiscent of Brit pop darlings Starsailor. Lead singer Russell Pollard channels Starsailor lead singer James Walsh perfectly. It is an instantly engaging song with an infectious drum and guitar opening which melds into a repetitious vocal. Pollard does a great job throughout the album of creating bitter, love-lorn, yet hopeful lyrics. “Let Go” has the narrator visiting a friend who is in dire straights (probably from a lost love) with the intent to make them happy. “So take a breath/my dear friend /Take it slow/and let go/and rise again/you’re not done yet/I know/Let Go”

The first few minutes of “Let Go” are fantastic, but after four minutes of the same thing, it gets a bit monotonous. The song is enjoyable, yes, but it could stand to be a minute or so shorter. Most of the songs on the album fall into this repetitious problem. They are all solid songs, and definitely are catchy, but I found myself getting a bit bored as they went on. “I’ve Had This Feeling Before”, “East Illinois”, and “Catalyst” are some fantastic highlights to the album. Everest does a great job of hooking the listener early and making them pay attention, but the problem comes later when they’ve made their point but are still reiterating it to you. It’s kind of like that drunk guy at the party you get cornered by, and the only way out is to fake a phone call or hope he doesn’t smoke and escape outside.

That’s not to say that Everest is making annoying songs, or creating sad, drunken, late night songs. They are making solid songs. They are fitting in very nicely to the new wave of American rock alongside My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, and to an extent Bon Iver—perhaps too well. It all seems to be blending together for myself, but that doesn’t mean the music isn’t good. There is a reason these bands are doing so well. Everest is very well crafted and catchy, but they seem to be trapped in a repetition that is catchy but not exciting. It is safe.