GREY DOES MATTER How To Make Millions In Real Estate CD

The working title for songwriter Jason Crawford, Grey Does Matter has incarnations that range from Gameboy electro-lo-fi pop to full-band rock to sensitive acoustic guitar balladry. How To… is Crawford in his band phase even if he does play everything (electric guitars, keyboards and drum machine programming) himself on this explosive collection of guitar pop anthems. It’s closer to Weezer and the Sex Pistols than you’d expect from a one-man show, and the songwriting craft holds its own against the lofty comparisons. Highlights for the 11-song debut include a seemingly radio-ready hit “Sinking,” which has a chorus line nicely appropriated from McDonalds’s ad copy, and “Harvey Liston,” which couches an incisive narrative amidst an infectious bevy of riffs. Sensitive songwriting with catchy power pop arrangements isn’t anything new, but the talent of this unknown leaves you wondering why he’s not a star in every indie blog and music mag around. [Jankomatic]

-Tad Hendrickson