Are You Building a Temple in Heaven?

Butterglory had the misfortune to emerge at the same time and (originally, at least) from roughly the same geographical region as Pavement (Vidalia, CA). This is a case of two groups developing independently, and of their own accord, along the same lines. Unfortunately for Butterglory, the more famous Pavement has become a touchstone for indie rock comparisons. Even more unfortunately, it's hard to get over the fact that Butterglory sounds uncannily like Pavement — no matter how much one would like to appreciate the group on its own terms. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Are You Building a Temple in Heaven?. Matt Suggs' slackerish vocals even sound remarkably like Pavement's Stephen Malkmus, whether he be settling into the lazy, hazy groove of "The Halo Over Your Head" or rising coyly up into a shaky falsetto on the bouncy, pretty "She's Got the Akshun." That having been said, Butterglory writes top-notch, sloppy pop gems, and often outdo Pavement at their own game. As such this album, is better than such mediocre Pavement albums as Terror Twilight.