Piece together a post-shoegaze era dreaminess with the calm of melody-driven pleasantries and the result is the seemingly soft Absense by Citified. The group’s new EP divides the standard loud-versus-soft for a fairly consistent volume level that is so soothing and tranquil, it’s almost easy to overlook the ringing noise that would, in effect, be created were it to be performed live. Every moment, no matter from which song we take that cross-section, fits the description.

Your typical indie pop band features infectious vocal melodies and upbeat instrumentation, the combination of which is undeniably catchy hooks. “Working Title” by The Good Graces fits these pop sensibilities to a ‘T’ but the vocal styling gives the song a unique twist. It’s all in the pronunciation of the words; it gives “Working Title” a country-ish feel that easily sets them apart from both modern and classic indie pop artists.

North Elementary’s John Harrison has used his bands soft core and playful folk track “Golden Tigers” to illuminate the city of Durham, North Carolina. This a type of video that should be made more often. With images of establishments with strange titles like Food For Supreme Life and Fo Sho Philly Style Clothing, Durham’s blend of urban and hipster settings provides an outlook for what could be a great and less than compromising future.