The fifth from time-established The Radar Brothers, Auditorium feels very much like an album steeped in a mix of California sea and sun. With sounds reminiscent of The Beach Boys (complete with falsetto,) it's easy to discern that the band is Los Angeles based. But while it might sound like all sunlight and sea salt, Jim Putnam wrote this album with strong and often dark politics and world events in mind.

Easy to listen to but difficult to dance to, Auditorium provides a gentle environment in which to examine the harsh realities going on all around us. If you aren't paying close attention you might miss the grief and sorrow innate in The Radar Brother's newest creation, but it's there nonetheless. Give this album a few rotations and see if you come out a little bit more world-conscious, my bet is that you will. The beauty inherent in Auditorium makes it a winning album despite the rest of its depth, but it's the rest that sends it to a whole other level of excellence.

-Kaitlin Johnson