If one wanted to get to the very bottom of Inter Arbiter, they might say that Inlets write folk songs. However, that's only true in a very loose sense. Many songs on the album only loosely follow conventional pop song structures, and even when they do conform more there's some strange instrumentation that may throw listeners off the scent. Indeed, Inlets give into some experimental tendencies on the album, but despite the ostensible lack of accessibility, Inlets have crafted a thoroughly enjoyable album for all ears, even those not used to bands with experimental leanings.

Inlets have gained quite a few Grizzly Bear comparisons so far, and they sort of make sense: Sebastian Krueger's vocals have a powerful-yet-serene quality not dissimilar to Ed Droste and the music on Inter Arbiter is atmospheric à la Veckatimest. However, it would be more accurate to draw a comparison to Joanna Newsom. There's the unconventional instrumentation, the quavering vocals and, most importantly, the sense that each song might just collapse in on itself at any moment. It's this sense of danger and feeling of unpredictability paired with Inlets' gift for creating accessible melodies that makes Inter Arbiter such a compelling listen.

There are certainly many twists and turns in the songs on the album, but what's even more impressive about the album is how Inlets never let these twists and turns lead to disjointed songs; the band is in total control of the seemingly imminent chaos. A prime example of Inlets' command over their musical destiny can be found in “Bright Orange Air.” The song is relatively tame at first, but the band throws a huge curveball with an abrupt transition from the second repetition of the chorus to the rest of the song. Only it's not much of a curveball at all—perhaps it would be in the hands of another less talented band, but here the transition sounds natural and beautiful. Inlets' ability to do this throughout the album helps Inter Arbiter stand out among some of the best releases of the year so far, and also highly contributes to the album's accessibility despite its experimental nature.

Another striking feature of the record is the wide variety of musical styles it covers. You might think you have the band pegged as ambient-leaning upon first turning on the album, but then “Canteen” kicks in and immediately proves this thought incorrect with some impressively fast and precise finger-picking guitar playing. Krueger steps up his already impressive finger-picking game even further on “Great Exit Lights” while also switching from guitar to banjo for good measure. “Bells and Whistles,” on the other hand, sounds more like a mixture of The Album Leaf and your grandma's old music box. Despite the various style changes, Inter Arbiter still holds up well as a fully-realized album rather than a mishmash of songs. One would imagine that, even with the strange structures and unconventional instrumentation, it'd be hard for most people to not get on board after further listens.

Despite the experimental nature of Inter Arbiter, Inlets never forgets how important it is for the listener to actually enjoy the music being put to tape. Even with its unorthodox features, Inlets have crafted an album that somehow directly appeals to pop sensibilities. Things arguably slow down a bit and become less memorable after “Bells and Whistles,” but listening is still a pleasure, albeit perhaps a less exhilarating one. Overall, this is a fine album, and one might expect the Grizzly Bear and Joanna Newsom comparisons to yield serious buzz for Inlets very soon.

Track List:
1. []
2. Canteen
3. In Which, I, Robert
4. Great Exit Lights
5. Bright Orange Air
6. Bells and Whistles
7. Maspeth
8. Sunfed Shapes
9. Famous Looks
10. Your Good Arm