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. InchBig, confident pop songs that fizz with melodyInch 4 stars. Music OMH // InchAdmirers of the Magnetic Fields, Pet Shop Boys and the Postal Service ought to find I Blame Society a treasure trove.Inch 8/10 Press Association // Queer New York duo the Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of the Magnetic Fields and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate, infectious pop gems. Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, the Ballet self-released two previous albums Mattachine! (2006) and Bear Life (2009). These caught the attention of Fortuna Pop!, which released their third album, I Blame Society, in 2013. The Ballet has been joined by a few other musicians along the way including Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O'Neill, who left in 2007 to join JD Sampson in MEN, as well as guest appearances on previous albums from Linton from The Aislers Set, Ramesh from Voxtrot, Scott Matthew, and Kaki King. In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as an influence, Goldberg, who writes and home records all of the band's songs, draws from an array of pop artists and periods, from 60's bubblegum to 80's synthpop and 90's indiepop, fusing these in sophisticated and novel ways that reward repeat listening. The Ballet's new album, Matchy Matchy, is a return to the upbeat tenor of the band's first two albums. While inspired by Goldberg's experience navigating an open relationship with his boyfriend of 14 years, Matchy Matchy is not straightforwardly autobiographical; Goldberg writes from his experience, while also fantasizing about the perspective of his objects of desire, leaving ambiguous which is which. He is generally less melancholic than on I Blame Society, and fans will notice a return to earlier themes (InchLookingInch tackles Grindr, as InchPersonalInch did Gaydar in 2006). Goldberg is not shy to write songs with explicitly
