Science Partner

Although Tyler Despres originally formed Science Partner in 2008 as an outlet for his acoustic material outside of his work with Dualistics, the project has developed into a six-piece. Despres already had a knack for writing moving songs on his own, but on Science Partner’s eleven-track full-length debut, Rocky Mountain News, he and the group are more in indie-rock mode, save for the gorgeous ballads “Little Sound,” “Eagle Eyes,” “Paradigm” and “Beautiful Bean (for Carl Sagan).” Those tracks also feature some of the album’s many three-part harmonies with remarkable vocalists Jess DeNicola and Maria Kohler. The dance-y “Child Stars,” which name-drops Miley Cyrus, is one of the catchiest tracks on the disc, with “Bee Is a Bee” coming in at a close second.