Today's rock and roll criticism seems to be forcing artists in a irreconcilable amount of descriptors, with pigeonholing, accusatory fad-mongering, and sometimes, immediate dismissal based on aesthetic signifiers. But strip away the primp and polish and studio magic, and at the core of a rock record you'll find the song-- verse, chorus, hook, chord progression, etc. Brad Oberhofer can write a song, and a catchy one at that, and whether we're dealing with the sloppy mess of his early recordings (buzzy, beloved, unpredictable) or the polish of his Steve Lillywhite produced debut, one thing has remained constant: these recordings are built of the stuff that sticks with you. Perhaps this is why Daniel Glass was so eager to snatch up the kid after his run during CMJ 2010.

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