Underwater Cinematographer

While it's fair to say that The Most Serene Republic do carry on the Arts & Crafts tradition of beautifully inspired indie-pop, it's not because of any ties to Broken Social Scene. TMSR aren't even from Toronto, in fact, and represent a departure from the label's usual promotion of incestuous scenesterism. Even more importantly, there's a sense of fun on Underwater Cinematographer ... they're joyful, they're rambunctious and they even (occasionally) rock. It's hard to imagine a band coming along this year with a better or more enjoyable debut. Splendid Magazine