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Written by David Lichius Tuesday, 25 September 2007 13:25

Can someone explain to me how this band has not been signed yet?

Formed in Brooklyn back in 2005, Arizona didn't plan on moving to North Carolina when they embarked on recording Fameseeker and the Mono. However, something about Asheville rubbed off on the group and the move was made. Heavy on the quirk and whimsy, Fameseeker and the Mono lays out seven tracks of largely likeable folk-pop. Try and picture in your head current-day Mock Orange if they ate more granola. On this follow-up to their 2006 debut LP Welcome Back Dear Children, Arizona again raises an important question that other reviewers have asked: Can someone explain to me how this band has not been signed yet? While the more low-key moments in WBDC are rather pedestrian, the subdued rock numbers—"Thimble," "Life Is Great," "Streetsweeper," and "Imagining You"—are outstanding. And in a perfect world, this should be enough to punch this quintet's ticket to the world of upper echelon indie labels. B | David Lichius

RIYL: Love as Laughter