Into the Sixes

 There is something about Ohio that serves consistently strong lo-fi indie rock. Perhaps it is the willing retreat into the life of the Midwest. Friendships develop over many years, work is hands-on, change is slower and pathologies are less in your face. All of these things seem to leap from Connections’ LP release, “Into Sixes.” There is nothing unfamiliar. There is a steady stream of good, raw pop that speaks directly to the environment that informs it.  Something in the simplicity of these songs that feels more punk at times though much less aggressive or angry. For me, the one low spot of listening to “Into Sixes” is that there is perhaps too much polyphony. Nothing wrong with dudes standing around a microphone, singing semi-romantic beer-soaked anthems. For the genre, it works, but a little more variety might be nice. —Erica Rucker