For Physical Fitness

This New Hampshire sextet of hirsute young men makes astonishingly beautiful, solid music that somehow slipped through the cracks in 2011. Most tunes on Tan Vampires' debut, For Physical Fitness, are of the hushed-woodlands, Bon Iver school of inspiration, but we also detect a nod to the arty playfulness of Radiohead. Every song pulses with a distinct energy that gives it a curious vibrancy and keeps it from turning precious or sentimental. Singer/songwriter Jake Merhmann—known in parts of New England for his solo efforts—has a strong, lithe voice, one with a soulful richness that soars on the stronger rock-leaning tracks (“Digital Rot,” “Sweep Up the Pieces,” “Leaves”) and chimes and murmurs on gorgeous, heartaching tunes like “I Found a Body” and “I Can Hear Them in the Dark.” For Physical Fitness may not have topped many non-local “best of” lists for 2011, but don’t be surprised if it proves a late bloomer. It’s a remarkable record that’s easy to fall in love with.