Trouble Books and Mark McGuire, “Trouble Books and Mark McGuire” Mark McGuire of Emeralds fame has teamed up with Akron husband-and-wife synth duo Trouble Books to release a record that seamlessly blends both groups’ well-known styles. Often with collaborations of this type, one artist’s style predominates the mix. This makes for a record that feels less like a collective thought and more like a directive handed down from one band to the other: play this, don’t play that, sing here and don’t sing there. However, this is hardly the case with the self-titled record. Throughout, McGuire’s layered guitars stand out and prop up the ethereal synths and airy vocal harmonies of Trouble Books. The truly surprising part of the record is how both groups’ individual styles are so well represented. Further adding weight to the record are more realized song structures than what fans of McGuire are used to. A perfect example of this synergy captured on vinyl is the tune “Song for Reinier Lucassen’s Sphinx.” A lush soundscape becomes the playground for swelling guitar lines, tinkling electric doodle-bells and humming organ drones. The first pressing of this record sold out quickly. Akron label Bark and Hiss is currently sending out the next batch and final pressing of this surreal-aural gem. Herzog, “Search” “Will the next person that sees anybody throw anything onto this field, point them out and get them out of here? You don’t live in Cleveland. You live in Cincinnati.” This infamous tirade from former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche opens Herzog’s debut album, “Search.” It also sets the tone for what is at its heart a true Cleveland record, where songs make mention of West Boulevard and other West Cleveland locations. All of these things make it kind of bizarre that the record was only available in the United Kingdom. However, thanks to Cleveland’s Exit Stencil Records, “Search” will finally be released on native soil. The 30-minute disc covers a lot of ground in a short span of time. At times the band sounds like late ’90s indie pioneers like Dinosaur Jr. or Pavement. Heavy waves of guitar drone are backed by driving drumbeats, splashed liberally with crashing cymbals. At other times they sound more contemporary, reminiscent of Band of Horses. Spacey guitars, ambient synth and drum loops intermingle with reverb-drenched vocals. This comparison is most noticeable on the track “Steady Hands,” which consists of nothing more than the group’s vocal harmonies. The record would have been better had the band taken full advantage of their abilities to harmonize, as this is the only track where it is predominately displayed — though it certainly doesn’t detract from what is an all-around solid first record.