Liam Kazar - “Shoes Too Tight”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…David Bowie, Mac DeMarco, Father John Misty

Due North, Liam Kazar’s debut full-length, is an amalgam of quirky pop music, upbeat and sugary, but with a strong dose of weird throughout. Kazar’s music is built on classic pop/rock songwriting, notably grabbing onto 70s glam and psychedelic rock in which to add his crooning vocals. Full, lush, and moving, Kazar composes songs with an orchestral mindset, again reaching back to the way songs were built a half-century ago, placing instrumentation and vocal harmonies to often soulful results. While there’s a lot going on, Due North is a pretty beautiful record that’s even dreamy at times, making complex sound easy and breezy - lookout for some of the more alt-country leaning tracks that balance the album with natural care. (Kevin McStravick)