Stepping In The Devil’s Shoes

Love Is All “A More Uncertain Future”

Josephine Olausson is the rock singer equivalent of a character actress. She’s not long on grace and her voice is not traditionally attractive, but she has a lot of highly specific charm. In most of the band’s songs, she’s kinda yelping in rhythm, but when they slow down, as on this mellow duet from their new sophomore album, her quirks are foregrounded. In some cases, that might be a bit grating, but this song allows her to sing as a character ideally suited to her personality — fragile, awkward, a bit child-like, a bit weary. When she’s forthright, she still seems self-effacing, and it makes perfect sense in the context of the song’s narrative. (Buy it from Amazon.)

The Voluntary Butler Scheme “Tabasco Sole”

Well, this one just gleams, doesn’t it? The Voluntary Butler Scheme aren’t reinventing any wheels here — most every instrumental element and hook in the song triggers a sense of déjà vu — but the tune comes together with such verve and pizzazz that even the most stock ideas seem magical within its two minutes and forty-eight seconds. Some songs aim for this sort of carefree, overwhelmingly cheerful tone and fall short; “Tabasco Sole” nails it and makes life just a little bit better when it’s on. (Click here for the Voluntary Butler Scheme’s MySpace page.)