Born Ruffians Birthmarks

Since debuting with their 2006 self-titled EP, Born Ruffians have been pleasantly chameleonic: never quite setting up camp in a specific place but instead orbiting around an essential core of hook-friendly songwriting with deceptively mature musicianship. On Birthmarks, some familiar Ruffians elements make appearances. The staunchly syncopated "Needle" and "6-5000" pay homage to their last effort, Say It. However, the inclusion of synthesizers, vocal processing, and some more meditative arrangements like "So Slow" see the Ruffians in new territory. They straddle this line consistently throughout the album—"With Her Shadow" has shades of a reserved Bruce Springsteen, while "Too Soaked to Break" visits a recurring Italo-disco arpeggio between verses. For all their gamut-running, Born Ruffians combine their various influences in a way that's wholly unique, growing ever more like themselves.