Forget trying to compare The New Limb to any other band out there today. The Orange County based foursome creates a sound all their own with the vigilance and finesse of a band with five times more albums. How they accomplished this, I’m not sure. Maybe they sacrificed a virgin to the Devil like Adam Brody’s band did in Jennifer’s Body. Okay, maybe not; but The New Limb is well on their way to respect and loyalty if they keep up what they’ve done on their debut album “Sounds People Can Hear”.

Categorizing the band is like trying to pinpoint a blade of grass in a field. Though they’ve been shoved into the indie genre, it’s fair to say that it is simply because The New Limb doesn’t fit neatly into any other category. What you find listening to the album in its entirety is a completely different song each time, executed with panache and an in-your-face quality lacking from most “indie” bands. One minute I was listening to a pop-inspired sing-along (“Birds and Stuff”) the next I was listening to an ethereally beautiful piano ballad (“Phil and Marie”). Influences range from psych-inspired (like on “Ebb and Flow”) to arena anthems (“Fire Song”). The music is raw and beautiful, yet somehow it is easy to see that The New Limb crafted each song meticulously and thoughtfully. And though the album is cohesive, I feel the band wasn’t concentrating solely on creating a cohesive album. Instead, listening to each song, it feels as though they were simply expelling these songs from their minds. And that’s what makes them so good: they try hard with seeming like they try hard which creates innocence I feel nostalgic for every day. The multiple influences on each song will draw listeners from all crowds in, from pop to emo. My personal favorites are psych-inspired “Ebb and Flow” and “Phil and Marie”. But there is something here for everyone, so do not let the “indie” label push you away. Though I looked for weak moments on this album, I couldn’t find one. I should probably feel like a failure for this, but instead, I just realized that this album is weak in no way.

“Sounds People Can Hear” will take you on a musical roller-coaster ride that will leave you breathless and wanting more.