If an outsider was to venture a guess as to the type of music living in Florida inspires, one would probably bet somewhere between Miami Bass and Radio Disney. They would, of course, be dead wrong. Any Florida resident will tell you the surprising yet unavoidable truth: folksy, jangly indie pop with the occasional stab of country twang. Clock Hands Strangle, currently at home on Melboure, Florida imprint Team Grizzly, reside perfectly within this spectrum, evoking comparisons to Orlando acts like The Heathens and Dodger. Their latest full length, Redshift/Blueshift recently landed in our mailbox. The record is a decidedly downtempo affair, for the most part, opening with the sleepy shuffle of "Redshift." Things liven up a bit here and there, though, particularly on the peppy romp of "Photographer", which, in its more spirited moments, bears a punky shade of twee. The band plays the part of charming, quirky indie band best on the bouncing "Perspective," channeling an early Colin Meloy. Clock Hands Strangle take some turns, however, like veering toward some prog-rock tendencies in the sauntering strangeness of "White Blazes," whose adventurousness actually finds the band sounding their strongest. Of course, it would not be a Florida indie record without some arguably superfluous, non-traditional novelty instruments thrown in for good measure, in this case a brass section popping in here and there. That being said, arguably superfluous instrumentation can lend a good deal of charm or style when used well. The horns actually compliment the rowdier portions of the opening and closing tracks ("Redshift" and "Blueshift," respectively) quite nicely, although they distract a bit from the mysterious mood of "White Blazes." Overall, Redshift/Blueshift presents a Florida band well versed in the local tradition and certainly equipped to play the part. During the stronger portions of the album, the band displays a certain skill and potential as indie troubadors. Their greatest challenge, however, will be rising from the surrounding heap of sound-alike bands in the immediate area as a distinct and versatile voice, capable of reaching beyond our quirky Florida scene. Story by Jack Cusumano