Garden State rockers Stuyvesant score with ‘Shmyvesant’ LP

‘Shmyvesant’
Stuyvesant (Sugardblast)
3.5 stars out of 5

Veteran Garden State indie rockers Stuyvesant have spent the better part of a decade making music together without building much of a profile outside of the fertile New York City/New Jersey scene. That’s shame because the talented four-piece deserves a much bigger audience.

Hopefully third full-length “Shmyvesant” — their first since 2011’s “Fret Sounds” — will be the record that expands Stuyvesant’s sphere of influence. Sean Adams (guitar/vocals), Ralph Malanga (guitar/vocals), Brian Musikoff (bass) and Pete Martinez (drums) have crafted a hard-driving collection of 12 guitar-based tunes that’s chock full of filled yummy riffs and infectious hooks.

The opening salvo of “Baby Bear,” “Gravity’s Winning” and “Hellbent for Heather” set the tone for the razor-sharp 35-minute platter, and Stuyvesant later impress with “Sunlight & Shadows,” “Oatmeal Song,” “Silent Treatment” and “Until You Came Around.” Do yourself a favor and track down a copy of “Shmyvesant.” I don’t think you’ll regret it. (Jeffrey Sisk)