Infinite Shuffle

One of the most underrated figures among all of the late-night talk show hosts has to be Carson Daly. Part of that is attributed to his time slot, but more of it is probably due to his formerly douchey public persona. However, since he rejiggered the format of his show several years ago, it’s easily become the hippest, most refreshing thing on late-night television.

The best element of “Last Call With Carson Daly” is the expertly shot concert videos that anchor each show. And it was on a recent episode that I got my first look at the band Milo Greene, whose performance of the song, “1957”, was featured. I had heard the song before on the All Songs Considered podcast and took note of it. But seeing a live version took my appreciation to a whole new level.

The song calls to mind Of Monsters and Men — but only in the male-female harmonies. It is nowhere near as bombastic as their Icelandic counterparts. That being said, the song is probably the fastest-paced track on the album.

For the most part, the group sticks to softer, more heartfelt tunes, filled with swaying harmonies and crescendoing percussion. For comparison’s sake, imagine how Wye Oak might sound if they had twice as many band members.

Speaking of the band’s makeup, it’s a five-piece that hails from Los Angeles — oh, and nobody is named Milo Greene. Besides the drummer, everyone else plays various instruments and shares vocal duties. That not only results in the great harmonies, but it also reduces the chances that any of the songs will sound too similar.

In addition to the aforementioned Icelanders, Milo Greene would fit nicely on a playlist that included Mumford & Sons, The Head and the Heart, The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers and Fleet Foxes.

On the band’s self-titled debut, which dropped in July, there are 13 tracks, but four of those run in the 30-90-second range — and a couple of those are more instrumental in nature. Of the more conventional tracks, there is no real filler. Besides the above two videos, other strong entries include “Take a Step”, “What’s the Matter” and the instrumental “Polaroid”.