In essence, Philadelphia representatives Cough Cool's debut vinyl long-player, Lately, is a slow-burning, bedroom-based, fuzz affair. Equally channeling the influence of My Bloody Valentine & Ween, the album comes across as a swampy 90s alternative-pop record of the highest caliber. This band would be touring with Guided By Voices if this were to have dropped in 1994. Lately brings a wild pop sound to the table, but Cough Cool isn't afraid to leave the dirt firmly under fingernails and a layer of grit across the music. This isn't just some haphazard, trendy, lo-fi aesthetic we've seen done to death since 2008 either. The way the music oozes, lazily, out of speakers is all in the process. It's all part of the escape. It's all part of the magic of the project... AND the songs?? Classic fucking shredders.Cough Cool is pop music, deconstructed and rewired to create 2011's new traditional Alternative era. There's a way of blending the influence of past forefathers with modern-day peers (Blank Dogs, Dirty Beaches), that creates an entirely new, unpolished, unique, and perfect sound. This is the type of shit you'd expect to see post-midnight on 120 Minutes back in 1996, and it works even better now. P.S. the title-track, "Lately," would make the perfect backing to a creepy David Lynch film's opening scene. Edition of 300.