The Envy Corps

“I Will Write You Love Letters if You Tell Me To”

Sounds like: Muse, Radiohead, Coldplay

REVIEW: 4.5 / 5

In short: Listening to “Love Letters” feels like putting on a warm shirt fresh out of the dryer. Luke Pettipoole’s vocals mesh beautifully with catchy riffs that sound intricately and obsessively perfected.

Listen up, Iowa State: The Envy Corps is the local band you’ve all been waiting for. These well-dressed Iowa boys have single-handedly produced a record so pristinely polished it could easily pass as a big-name production.

“Love Letters” kicks off with “Rhinemaidens,” the single that put the band on the map after being religiously played on 105.1 Channel Q for months.

The second song, “Story Problem,” is by far the most initially catchy tune on the disc. Its layered guitar riffs and reverberating drums are enough to make even the most anti-social person want to crack a smile and dance like an idiot.

Near the end of the song, the melody is passed to a choir of friends and fans – recorded live at a show – that sing split “la-di-da” parts, complete with clapping and hollering, that give the song an unparalleled level of realism and excitement.

Every song on the album is exceptional, including the surprisingly intense “Sylvia (The Beekeeper)” and haunting acoustic confessionals “Rooftop” and “Baby Teeth.” Certain songs make more lyrical sense than others, but every lyric is written like a piece of good poetry and sung with enough conviction to sound incontrovertible.

Without a doubt, “Love Letters” will garner The Envy Corps lots of well-deserved attention.

– Dan McClanahan