I've noticed lately that on so many recordings the electric bass is incredibly boomy, muddy, or just generally hard to listen to. Case in point: "Furr", the new album from local Portland band Blitzen Trapper. The other instruments on the album are beautifully recorded, particularly the acoustic guitar on title track and the piano on "Not Your Lover". There's a tangible sense of space in the vocals and drums as well, so obviously the producers know what they're doing; so why such a bad bass sound? I've noticed this all over the place, but particularly in "indie" recordings.
With all of that said, it's still a great album. There are some truly fantastic songs, like the aforementioned "Furr", and other quasi-country efforts. The one thing I'd like to hear from these guys is a bit more cohesiveness - things tend to change pretty drastically from song to song. This is still a young band, and I think we're still hearing the development of their sound. I'll certainly be on board to hear new things as they come.
