The latest from Titus Andronicus-alum Andrew Cedermark, “Canis Major” combines the nostalgia-heavy “lazy suburban afternoon” rock of Cedermark’s northern New Jersey contemporaries with the psych-pop buoyancy of Grizzly Bear. Cedermark may have the most emphatically “pop” aspirations of the Underwater Peoples collective (which counts Real Estate and Ducktails as members); “Canis Major” borrows from alt-country, guitar-obsessed British indie, and the style of lighthearted groove rock that saw its heyday as sitcom themes throughout the 90s. Taking a big step away from his more isolated earlier work (like the beautifully chilly Moon Deluxe), “Canis Major” is Cedermark’s most approachable – and perhaps most immediately impressive – piece of music yet.
