Jay Reatard

Jay Reatard released a flurry of singles between the breakthrough Blood Visions and this year's Watch Me Fall, but 2007's "I Know A Place" foretold his shift away from abrasive fuzz and toward letting his pop songwriting skills shine. There's still plenty of nervous energy in the song, but there's also a real beauty in the jangling guitar and catchy falsetto. When the buzz around "lo fi" indie rock collapses, and it eventually will, Reatard will be one of the artists who'll continue to thrive, with an ear for a good hook that transcends the limitations of any specific sound.

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