Doghouse Record’s Mansions is set to release his debut LP New Best Friends tomorrow (March 3). Despite the release of prior EPs, I’ll be entirely honest in saying that I hadn’t the faintest clue who or what Mansions was until about three weeks ago. Thankfully, my first introduction to Christopher Browder’s brutally honest songwriting and delicate yet entirely effective delivery was more than well received.

New Best Friends is chock filled with a variety of relatively straightforward singer-songwriter scribed gloom-pop. Throw in the subtle use of electronica, pulsing drums, and unforeseen huge choruses and well, you have yourselves a great debut record. As a whole, the record is a great selection of tunes suitable for any introspection addict to digest during the latter stages of winter. Fans of Kevin Devine and Brand New should surely find Chris’s addition to the genre worthy of merit.

I’d suggest checking out “Talk Talk Talk,” “Holidaze,” “Gotta Be Alone” and “Substitute Angel” if you’re at all curious. In fact, here are some great live videos to get you started.

“Talk Talk Talk”

“Holidaze”