It’s a new chapter for Neva Dinova. Although the band are beloved by many, they’ve never had the same name recognition as their Omaha-bred peers and collaborators like Bright Eyes and Cursive. However that’s likely to change with the band’s reinvigorating new full-length Canary, which features a new lineup, fresh perspective and a sound that’s more urgent than anything they’ve created in the past. Neva Dinova frontman Jake Bellows has been consistently making music since the band’s self-titled debut was released 22 years ago—and has released music under his own name, including 2013’s excellent New Ocean—but he’s always stayed out of the spotlight, largely eschewing television, cultural trends and social media. It’s no secret that artists and musicians can be precious about their art and fragile when it comes to their ego, however Bellows has a very different perspective. “When you’re involved in the arts there’s some expectation for you to be smart or know stuff and I don’t want to be that poser anymore,” he admits. However there’s a liberation in that lack of pretense—and even when Bellows is musing about his own limitations in “Near Me,” there’s a beauty in the imperfections: The subtle buzzing of the amp, the finger noise on the strings and Bellows’s voice rising above all of it in a way that’s distinctly Neva Dinova. Canary is a raw and unfiltered glimpse of Bellows’ psyche at that time—and it also marks a second act for one of indie rock’s most underrated acts.

Rilo Kiley, Midlake, Neva Dinova

Rilo Kiley

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