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MP3 At 3PM: Action!

Action! is the husband-and-wife duo of Dan and Robyn Burns, whose self-released debut LP, Friend Weakend, has been quietly holding court with Nashville tastemakers at the Scene, We Own This Town, WRVU and elsewhere since it became available in June. Engineered and mixed by venerable Music City producer Jeremy Ferguson (Be Your Own Pet, Forget Cassettes, Turbo Fruits), the 11-song collection is a blithe and endearing affair, at times recalling the austere dexterity of Deerhoof and at others the reflective pop of Seldom. Through and through, it succeeds by inhabiting that quaint perch of your brain that craves solace, but not at the expense of, well, action. Indeed, like Pinback’s Blue Screen Life, Friend Weakend is unmistakeably filled with accomplished playing, though it’s to the Burns’ credit that we’re drawn more to its overarching wistfulness than its performed particulars. “Sandpiper” exhibits this effect well, playfully articulating the mindstream of a sea bird while a plodding, reverb-heavy backdrop builds into a jangly, near-raucous coda. Friend Weakend is availableĀ as a digital download, as well as on CD and fan-funded vinyl.

“Sandpiper” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/Sandpiper.mp3