Pop 'stache

Of Montreal usually sounds like a schizophrenic acid trip through a friendly, magical forest. On its new album, Lousy With Sylvianbriar, the group stays quirky but with a funkier, rock-n-roll sound.

Of Montreal is from Athens, Ga. and has been around since the mid ‘90s. Frontman Kevin Barnes has kept the quirk alive after 12 studio releases.

This release sounds a bit more stripped down than previous albums, such as Sunlandic Twins or Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? On Lousy With Sylvianbriar there are fewer beats, synths, and wacky noises. It maintains the essence of Of Montreal, but with a slightly more chilled out sound.

There are also more recognizable instruments on this album; there is actually an electric guitar leading a melody (what?!). The group isn’t suddenly conventional, though; it is simply less avant garde.

Throughout, Of Montreal sounds like a grittier rock band with bluesy influences. The album is guitar and drum heavy.

Barnes’ creative license is still present in the lyrics. It used to be that sonically and lyrically, Of Montreal was simply an explosion of danceable ridiculousness, but now the lyrics shine through the simpler sounds in all their weirdness. On “Belle Glade Missionaries,” Barnes opens the track with, “Belle Glade missionaries are here to steal your cocaine/You better send your malaria to puncture their brains/And send them back to where they came from.”

Of Montreal has always used fictional scenarios or narratives in its lyrical structure; it’s a large part of the band’s style and performance. Most of the tracks on Lousy With Sylvianbriar are a small bizarre work of fiction. Each track follows this songwriting path, with structures that are more traditional, but the content is atypical compared to Of Montreal’s historical fun house interpretation of pop music.

The track “Triumph of Disintegration” is the most similar to Of Montreal’s previous work. A funky beat, choral harmonies, and several tempo and melody changes are all present, but this track still feels different than the usual infinitely faceted, heavily produced style.  It opens with only a shaker as Barnes sings, “The last 10 days have been a motherfucker,” before the beat kicks in.

The album takes an acoustic turn on “Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit” and “Amphibian Days;” both are slower, not as overwhelming and explosive. Barnes has produced tracks with this mellow vibe before, but nothing with such a heavy folk influence.

Of Montreal left some of the synths behind on this album; it sounds more like rock-n-roll. “Hegira Émigré” is a folk-rock track with a strong electric guitar. There also are bluegrass-infused moments on the album, while “Fugitive Air” and “She Ain’t Speakin’ Now” have distinct garage rock guitar.

This album is a definite turning point. Of Montreal has significantly calmed down in comparison to its high-energy pop music on steroids.

Even though this is sonically quite different from other Of Montreal releases, it is a cohesive album with interesting song structures and intriguing lyrics. The downside to Lousy With Sylvianbriar is that it lacks some of the quirkiness and hyperbolic sonic explosions that fans have come to expect.

Of Montreal – Lousy With Sylvianbriar tracklist:

1. “Fugitive Air”
2. “Obsidian Currents”
3. “Belle Glade Missionaries”
4. “Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit”
5. “Colossus”
6. “Triumph of Disintegration”
7. “Amphibian Days”
8. “She Ain’t Speakin’ Now”
9. “Hegira Émigré”
10. “Raindrop in My Skull”
11. “Imbecile Rages”

Living within Philadelphia’s music scene can truly acclimate you to the almost cult fervor following indie folk/psych group Dr. Dog.

It’s no surprise that the group’s following spreads out from the City of Brotherly Love to the nooks and crannies of the country’s music scenes; B-Room is Dr. Dog’s eighth album, a feat many indie bands never reach. The album finds the group honing its signature sound—harmonic vocal compositions, classic- and psychedelic-influenced lo-fi rock, and storytelling lyricism—with an impressive level of maturity.

With B-Room, the group ditched its usual studio space in Philadelphia for a converted silversmith mill on the outskirts of the city, which inspired the title. The recording process also saw a change; Dr. Dog opted to record live in an attempt to capture its cohesion and natural flow as a group, and to bring in a more faithful translation its famous live work.

Songs “Broken Heart” and “Distant Light” come early and strong on the record. Both utilize funky bass lines, catchy hooks, and great harmonic breakdowns. They jump out as single-worthy, and are the most aesthetic tracks on B-Room.

Acoustic ballad “Too Weak to Ramble” is raw in its twangy catharsis.

The track reaps the benefits of the live recording process, as it possesses an aura lost to many a song today. The closer “Nellie” is slow-churning, sweeping song of Beatles-infused lo-fi, and certainly one of the highlights of the album. Its lyrical simplicity and jumping piano are an apropos ending to the live show-inspired album—a grand sing-along sure to be a crowd favorite.

Despite some standout tracks, the remainder of the album waddles in what feels like a Dr. Dog back catalog.

It is hard to justify the essential-ness of this collection of songs when the group’s trajectory and evolution remains stagnant. This , is probably by design, though, as Dr. Dog is more than happy to fill its role in the indie music world.

And perhaps this should not be a point of detraction for these musicians; the songs are catchy and nostalgic, they are musically mature and fleshed out, and they appeal to an established fan base.

It is no stretch to call this a comfortable record, where expectations are met, not exceeded, and satisfaction comes to those with an ear for what Dr. Dog has been preaching for years.

By retreating to its own studio outside of Philadelphia, the group effectively shutters any outside influence that could bring an exponential shift or evolution of style. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Dr. Dog has done what it’s been doing very well for a long time now, and the choice to record live is the knob-tweaking adjustment that allows for the best studio adaptation of its frenetic and fun live performances.

Still, it’s almost criminal for such talented songwriters to settle for the stands, especially when young, psychedelic-laced guitar rock is on the rise. B-Room is an admirable record that is carried by a handful of catchy and true songs, but lacks an X factor to make it formative.

Dr. Dog – B-Room tracklist:

1. “The Truth”
2. “Broken Heart”
3. “Minding the Usher”
4. “Distant Light”
5. “Phenomenon”
6. “Too Weak to Ramble”
7. “Long Way Down”
8. “Cuckoo”
9. “Twilight”
10. “Rock & Roll”
11. “Love”
12. “Nellie”

Nearly a year after releasing her hit EP The Love Club, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde has managed to build a widespread and palpable buzz in the notoriously fatigued pop genre.

Under the “pop” label, Lorde is unfairly roped in with tired acts like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, but the 16-year-old has caused remarkable tidal shifts with her penetrating vocal abilities and lyrical maturity.

“Royals,” the catchy single released earlier this year, has already garnered Lorde international attention, fostering a level of anticipation for her debut album normally reserved for established artists.

To the delight of fans and critical hopefuls, Pure Heroine not only fulfills those expectations, but solidifies the teen artist as an extraordinary talent with striking vocal maturity.

Charged with a minimal, yet stylized production and dreamy electro-pop tracks, Pure Heroine delivers smart, solid music marked by lyrical sophistication.

The album opens with the heavily synthesized “Tennis Court,” a song paying irreverent salutation to the social hierarchy found in every high school hall. “Everything’s cool when we’re all in line for the throne,” she coos, “but I know it’s not forever.” The catchy electronic beat packs enough commercial punch to position the track alongside “Royal” as a hit single.

Lorde proves her talent for contemporary electro-pop with upbeat tracks like “Million Dollar Bills” and “Team,” which offer insight into her lyrically mature songwriting skills. That talent is also evident on “A World Alone,” where she intelligently weaves a unifying rally cry against the defeatist majority.

But perhaps the crowning achievement on the record is the poignant and emotionally charged “Ribs,” a synth-driven track that reveals an endearing vulnerability. “This dream isn’t feeling sweet,” she sings. “We’re reeling through the midnight streets/And I’ve never felt more alone/It feels so scary getting old.”

Pure Heroine does falter on the simple and lackluster “White Teeth Teens,” an underwhelming track revealing Lorde’s sophomoric side. This track suggests the young songstress ultimately does have room to grow.

Despite the fact that much of the lyrical content in the album is wrought with the muddled feelings of adolescence, the prose is mature. Pure Heroine is characterized by the pitfalls associated with adolescence, and the tracks reveal a young girl grappling with change and exploring her place in the world.

With her full-length debut, Lorde has crafted a remarkable and distinct sound shaped by seasoned composition, cementing her place as a formidable talent. This no doubt launches the young artist into a league unmatched by her contemporaries, and boasts promise for even greater work ahead.

Lorde – Pure Heroine tracklist:

1. “Tennis Court”
2. “400 Lux”
3. “Royals”
4. “Ribs”
5. “Buzzcut Season”
6. “Team”
7. “Glory And Gore”
8. “Still Sane”
9. “White Teeth Teens”
10. “A World Alone”

California hard-rock trio FUZZ has finally released its self-titled debut after two years in the making. As the band’s name hints, this release is as fuzzy and gritty as one can imagine, drowning the listener in a sea of tenacious noise.

The group’s three members, drummer and lead singer Ty Segall, guitarist and backup vocalist Charles Moothart, and bassist Roland Cosio, have been fine-tuning their ruckus over the past few years to create an energy-driven, high-powered album that is reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s defined sound.

While the band takes obvious inspiration from bands like Sabbath and even Jimi Hendrix, it feels as if it takes a little too much from music that has already been done and redone since that era. FUZZ could easily be a collection of unreleased tracks from the early ’70s, which comes as both a good and a bad thing.

The main downfall of this record is its lack of overall originality, style-wise. It’s a great example of classic hard rock, but the genre has outstayed its welcome.

The style has been duplicated by an innumerable number of bands, making it hard for FUZZ to stand apart in the vast pit of similar artists, especially when the specific road the group chose to go down sounds all too familiar to old-school hard rock fans.

One thing that helps set FUZZ apart is Segall’s high-pitched, punk vocals. They’re a fresh addition to instrumentation that sometimes sounds a bit too copied from the past.

But what the band lacks in originality, it more than make up for in talent and musicianship.

FUZZ has obviously taken a great deal of influence from the hard rock of the ’70s and ’80s, but it has taken these roots and raised the bar to a new level.

Moothart’s guitar is the most impressive facet of the band, outshining even Segall’s vocals. His gruff, overdriven, wavering lead guitar is what drives the LP, bringing the rest of the band up a couple of notches.

Songs like “Loose Structures” and “Preacher” show off Moothart’s undeniable mastery of guitar and stand out as some of the strongest tracks on FUZZ.

The extensive guitar solos that travel all over the board prove time after time to be the band’s major selling point.

The guitar is also responsible for one of the best aspects of the album: the ability to bridge the gap between hard rock and psychedelic rock on certain songs. Trippy tracks like “What’s In My Head?” have a steady groove, but they’ll still make you bang your head.

A lot of respect is due to the band; it has flawlessly managed to bring the listener back to an incredible era of music. The only problem is that this acts as somewhat of a pigeonhole. FUZZ is a gifted group and has proven itself to be worthy of attention with its debut, but it would be nice to see Segall & Co. step out of that box.

The newer aspects of the album are what make it shine; if FUZZ made a record built around those elements, it would be much more unique and enjoyable.

This self-titled release is solid in its musicality, but FUZZ missed an opportunity to be extraordinary.

FUZZ – FUZZ tracklist:

1. “Earthen Gates”
2. “Sleigh Ride”
3. “What’s In My Head”
4. “Hazemaze”
5. “Loose Sutures”
6. “Preacher”
7. “Raise”
8. “One”

Icona Pop is a female Swedish electro-pop duo with enough energy and girl power to tackle an American football stadium sound system.

The group is as prototypically poppy as its radio and club night play counts might suggest. Icona Pop hides behind no profound or innovative intentions. An 8-year-old will recognize “I Love It,” a dance-worthy hit that brought This Is… Icona Pop to large-scale attention.

The remaining 10 tracks on this sophomore Record Company/Big Beat Records release follow in energetic and soaring vocal suit, molding a thoroughly reliable dance album to cue up at your impromptu Friday night party, if that’s what you and your girls are into.

Stockholm-raised Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo formed Icona Pop after meeting at a party hosted by Jawo in 2009, where they bonded so hard that an original performance piece came a mere four weeks later. Chemistry is the compository tie that assures their solidarity as a duo, shown through filmed friendly mischievousness and goofy, finish-each-other’s-sentences interviews.

Driving anthem “Girlfriend” is designed to create sing-along moments for, you guessed it, girlfriends, intrinsically fostering memories grounded in girl power and single women strength.

In true pop form, it demands little from us except a willingness to dance and tolerate high energy repetitions.

In this sense, This Is… Icona Pop is a great success by two ambitious party girls with an ear for leading epic vocal choruses and tastefully touching on emotional chord progressions.

Ballads “Just Another Night” and “Hold On” seem to exist only to switch up the album’s pace. Lyrics are typical and vague, preventing Icona Pop from using these slow spaces to declare any challenging or uniquely relatable thoughts.

This is disappointing, but contextually unsurprising, given that most of This Is… Icona Pop’s songs were written by outside parties.

The EDM influence on pop music is in full force, and Icona Pop is certainly down with that incorporation. From the dirty zipper bass on “All Night” and the building electro cores of “We Got The World” and “Ready For The Weekend,” This Is… Icona Pop finds a natural fusion in the inclusion of mainstream EDM elements with the duo’s self-proclaimed “classical pop melody” style.

This is no revolutionary feat, though. The Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry all boast electro-heavy elements; it’s what Top 40 bar-goers and the entire ’90s generation have come to expect. It’s conclusive that for this reason, This Is… Icona Pop earns award-winning popular respect while falling critically short of inventive admiration.

Icona Pop – This Is… Icona Pop tracklist:

1. “I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)”
2. “All Night”
3. “We Got The World”
4. “Ready For The Weekend”
5. “Girlfriend”
6. “In The Stars”
7. “On A Roll”
8. “Just Another Night”
9. “Hold On”
10. “Light Me Up”
11. “Then We Kiss”

A couple of years ago, a friend recommended The Static Jacks, introducing it as a strong, solid rock band out of New Jersey. Those adjectives still adorn the façade of the group upon the release of its second effort, In Blue,  out on October 1 on Old Friends Records.

And while the old descriptors are still there, the past two years The Static Jacks has spent touring and getting more comfortable with itself have produced an admirably reconstructed sound. Here, 11 tracks of simple, alternative guitar rock come out swinging, yielding no footing to modern electronic trends, and VERB standout tracks for the effort.

In Blue, though somewhat uneven in its composition, contains a handful of radio-ready tracks that could make The Static Jacks a big name in the world of alternative guitar rock.

Notable even among these standout tracks is lead single “Wallflowers,” which struts about like a mid-career Weezer sing-a-long, complete with crooning “oooo”s and a catchy chorus. The song, about accepting the affections of an overeager stalker, is fun and easily digestible—which, for the band, is a big weapon in its hunt for success.

“We’re Alright” very successfully offers a respite from the distortion of the rest of the album, showing the versatility of the group’s abilities. Its timid, pulsing guitar line, jittering on top of cozy drums and bass, blossoms into an anthem of youth that is both insecure and definite.

“Katie Said” is the best encapsulation of everything The Static Jacks does right. Playing with Pixian levels of high and low, the track tastefully weaves in and out of vulnerable verses and sweeping waves of sound in its chorus.

Not unlike Bleed American-era Jimmy Eat World, “Katie Said,” along with closer “Greensleeves,” has a cold confidence. They sound like backing tracks to the working-to-get-her-back montage in a coming of age movie.

But where there are highs, there are also lows. “Decoder Ring” is a relatively forgettable attempt at slow-churning pop, and “Home Again” offers little contrast from other songs of longing on the album.

What we see here is a monotony in the depths of the album that ultimately slows its progression. There are no bad songs, but there’s a repetition of theme and sound that is too uniform to allow In Blue to be named anything more than a decent release.

Like a faithful old car, or the band’s home state of Jersey, The Static Jacks is loyal in its dependability, even if such traits are paid with derision due to a lack of dynamism or efficiency (or, you know, too many pollutants).

This is not to say that The Static Jacks is a pool of stillwater, though; presented are 11 tracks of Jersey rock that fit the state’s rich history of music making, from Springsteen to Titus Andronicus. In Blue does lack that extra element of singularity that would allow it to reach the level of ubiquity other Jersey trailblazers have achieved, but still is a great trail head for The Static Jacks’ launch into the airwaves.

The Static Jacks – In Blue tracklist:

1. “Horror Story”
2. “I’ll Come Back”
3. “Wallflowers”
4. “Home Again”
5. “We’re Alright”
6. “Katie Said”
7. “Ninety Salt”
8. “Decoder Ring”
9. “In Blue”
10. “People Don’t Forget”
11. “Greensleeves”

Balance and Composure is a name that’s becoming increasingly popular in the exponentially growing post-hardcore scene. Its short, but highly renowned, career began only two years ago when its debut LP Separation attracted attention from both critics and fans, allowing the band to continuously tour since its release and eventually sell out headlining shows in major cities.

Now, with a second LP released on Sept. 10, Balance and Composure continues to gain momentum. The Things We Think We’re Missing debuted at number 51 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, marking its first appearance on a mainstream chart.

Balance and Composure has progressed to become an improved version of its already innovative, dynamic sound, securing its rightful place as one of the headliners of the post-hardcore genre.

The most attractive thing about the band is its inventive musical style; Jon Simmons’ identifiable, gruff vocals; and the profound lyrics.

Citing far-off influences like Nirvana and Neutral Milk Hotel, this band will blow you away with its concoction of unique sounds, throwing punch after punch with each screeched lyric and every gritty guitar note.

Balance and Composure has not explored much new territory on its newest release—with the exception of a few songs, like the purely acoustic “Dirty Head” or the instrumental “Ella”—but has become more sinister with age.

This darker, heavier sound feels like the next natural step for the band, especially when you take into account its energy-driven, spastic live shows, which characteristically start with Simmons saying, “Bang your head.”

The intensity Balance and Composure captured on The Things We Think We’re Missing makes it feel as if the album is being performed a few feet in front of you—it cripples you and leaves you begging for more.

The sheer power of this record is evident from the beginning, starting with the violent opening riff and ardent vocals that come after the explosive instrumental exposition.

The lyrics, which talk of a past relationship Simmons can’t let go of, are raw and compelling. Simmons yells with no restraint, “I found you inside of a dream, spinning in circles magically/Took a picture of your eyes, so I could find my empty mind.” “Parachutes” is an epic introduction to an equally epic album, setting an emphatic mood for the entire LP.

The Things We Think We’re Missing manages to have a lot of variation while still maintaining a cohesive feel.

This dichotomy applies to each element of the music: instrumentally, stylistically, vocally, lyrically, all of the above. One of the most prominent changes is the shift in instrumentation as you venture through the 13-song release.

Balance and Composure has consistently ridden on its originality when it comes to instrumental arrangement, shifting from heavily melodic, beautiful riffs like the opening to “Reflection” to the in-your-face, gritty riffs found in “Lost Your Name,” and so many places in between. There is an element of surprise whenever one track ends, leaving listeners unable to guess what will come next.

The other aspect of the band’s sound that carries over to the new record is Simmons’ ability to sing in two distinct vocal styles. Between the uncontrolled screaming in the opening track (which reappears throughout the album), to the calmer, toned-down singing in the finale “Enemy,” it almost sounds like two different bands.

Balance and Composure is able to capture a different feel depending on the song, or even go back and forth within one track like it does between the verses and choruses in “Parchutes.”

With another solid release under its belt, Balance and Composure is able to drop its label of “promising newcomer” and pick up the new title of “serious contender” for a place on Album of the Year charts.

Balance and Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing tracklist:

1. “Parachute”
2. “Lost Your Name”
3. “Back of Your Head”
4. “Tiny Raindrop”
5. “Notice Me”
6. “Ella”
7. “Cut Me Open”
8. “Reflection”
9. “I’m Swimming”
10. “When I Come Undone”
11. “Dirty Head”
12. “Keepsake”
13. “Enemy”

HAIM is a trio of sisters from Los Angeles, and its debut album Days Are Gone sounds like The Roches made an album influenced by new wave and R&B simultaneously.

HAIM’s indie-pop sound is funky, rich, and wicked unique. The female rock powerhouse sings love songs, but with musicianship that puts Taylor Swift to shame.

Days Are Gone has a distinctive groove to it. Each track has a touch of funk or R&B that makes it feels like an updated throwback. From the keys, to the synths, to the percussion, intricate moments are constantly popping up, giving listeners a shock of detail. “My Song 5” is full of them. There are vocal alterations, a guitar solo, a brief spell of deep operatic vocals, and an electronic breakdown.

Each track holds these surprising moments—Days Are Gone is like an audible game of I Spy.

The tracks are so wonderfully constructed that they never get old; upon each listen, a new sound or rhythm is discovered. There’s also a certain timeless nature to the songs. With a sound that’s current, yet referential to older music, HAIM isn’t likely to suffer the fate of trendier indie-pop bands: the looming inevitability of sounding dated in a year’s time.

Lyrically, HAIM is undoubtedly poppy. Most of the songs are about love, with catchy lyrics. The opening track “Falling” has a memorable and positive chorus: “Don’t stop/No, I never give up/And I never look back, just hold your head up/And if it gets rough, it’s time to get rough.” It’s set to a fun and gnarly beat led by guitar picks and percussion that seem fitting for an ’80s prom.

“Honey & I” is one of the softer tracks, especially in contrast to the grit and surprises on “My Song 5” and the rock-n-roll vibe on “The Wire.”  However, it’s equally as engaging as the more danceable melodies, in part because of it’s cute lyrics: “The song can’t be played alone/It was made to be played with my honey and I.”

The album is never a straight-forward throwback, though; it doesn’t rely on only one nostalgic sound. “Running if You Call My Name” is reminiscent of Kate Bush, and “If I Could Change Your Mind” has an epic funk similar to Prince.

It’s clear that HAIM has a variety of influences, and each is heard differently at different moments, creating a new sound. It suits the band’s careless, “let’s just have fun” California style.

The band’s moniker comes from the sisters’ last name. It’s all in the family with them. The vocal harmonies and overall togetherness on the album makes Days Are Gone sound very clean and tight, most notably on the title track.

The lead vocals are sung by the middle sister, Danielle, and her voice has androgynous tendencies, but she isn’t blatantly playing with gender roles on this release. Her voice has a forceful femininity, often compared to that of Stevie Nicks.

For a debut, Days Are Gone has essentially no weaknesses. It’s so stylistically clean, fun, and well crafted that it ultimately makes a striking debut that stands out from the swells of indie-pop bands. In fact, it’s difficult to even compare HAIM to the other bands out there; there is a distinctly funky, empowering vibe that resonates even after the album has ended. This trio of Californian sisters is one to watch out for.

HAIM – Days Are Gone tracklist:

1. “Falling”
2. “Forever”
3. “The Wire”
4. “If I Could Change Your Mind”
5. “Honey & I”
6. “Don’t Save Me”
7. “Days Are Gone”
8. “My Song 5”
9. “Go Slow”
10. “Let Me Go”
11. “Running If You Call My Name”

MGMT seems to have made meticulously clever choices all over its third and most recent album, MGMT.

From the juxtaposition of heavily psychedelic, and often dark, content on the album with the dull daily scene on its cover artwork, to the title of the second track, “Cool Song No. 2,” these self-aware ironies are pristinely chosen to complement the group’s least radio-friendly release to date.

MGMT steers far away from Oracular Spectcular’s cheerful melodies, going deeper into and even beyond Congratulations’ somber explorations. Abstract but carefully curated lyrics create a poetically brilliant album, leaving room for listeners to extract personal meaning from a verbosely defined, art-centric release.

“Alien” opens MGMT with a peculiar feeling of psychedelic dreaminess.

Children verse the intro and lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden symphonically joins in, “Sequins in the eyes/That’s a fine time to dine/Divine who’s circling/Feeding the cards to the midwives/Who love those alien days.”

“Alien Days” goes on to compare three contextually alien/enlightening moments: The innocent imaginations of childhood; the time right before you fall asleep; and, most relevant to the song, tripping on drugs.

The exploration of moments when a truth or beauty all at once arrives—ideas tolerantly ignored most days—is versed fiercely on this engaging first single: “How all the scheming, soulless creatures can’t find honey in the hive/If it’s right beneath the nose/Numbers can’t decide if the day’s supposed to smile.”

“Introspection” explores the questions of soul and origin, maintaining a confused and overwhelmed perspective with which humans are all assuredly burdened. VanWyngarden sings, “Tripled by the onslaught/Speeding feud of time/Dying by the unloved/Of voices in the pride.”

MGMT’s second single, “Your Life Is A Lie,” immediately follows with one potential reaction to existential thought—that is, nothing matters, and constructions can immediately become lies.  The stagnated lines are blunt and to the dreary point, culminating in a loose mock-consolation, “Nobody wins/Try not to cry.”

On “Astro-Mancy,” MGMT reaches deep into its celestial imaginations to write some of the most murky and poetic lyrics on the album.

“The minute the mirror turned its back to me/My distinct conviction of keeping eternal sources piled somewhere familiar/Was compromised and tangled in knots/For all I know we were sleeping/Arranged like fate’s vain infantry/Stacked in unconscious opposition/Blind and happy for tomorrow,” VanWyngarden sings.

“I Love You Too, Death” answers any curiosities about whether MGMT will contain anything even remotely as catchy or uplifting as Oracular Spectacular’s “Weekend Wars,” with a whispering and unanimous “No!”

MGMT is on the verge of completely resigning from pop, in creative favor of former tourmates Of Montreal or Radiohead’s contemporary experimentations and Devendra Banhart’s noisy quiverings.

For those who find the album’s minor tones and spacey pace a little too dark, “Plenty Of Girls In The Sea” adds a shot of optimism to an otherwise very distant, introspective album: “The trick is to try to be free/So keep it short, simple and sweet/’Cause there’s plenty of girls in the sea/Whenever you want there to be.”

MGMT – MGMT tracklist:

1. “Alien Days”
2. “Cool Song No. 2”
3. “Mystery Disease”
4. “Introspection” (Faine Jade cover)
5. “Your Life Is a Lie”
6. “A Good Sadness”
7. “Astro-Mancy”
8. “I Love You Too, Death”
9. “Plenty Of Girls in the Sea”
10. “An Orphan of Fortune”

As the decision to self-title its third full-length album may suggest, Moving Mountains seems less concerned with progression than with calcifying an already solid sound and building off of its current body of work.

Note that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing—after more than six years, the group certainly has a formidable grasp on its own style. But this has yet to truly set Moving Mountains apart from similar artists, including many Triple Crown/Deep Elm Records label mates of past and present who, among others, laid the groundwork for the particular breed of wistful, ambient alternative from which “MovMou” builds.

While the LP is certainly the band’s most mature yet, it feels strikingly more grounded. Admittedly, it results from an apparent decrease in experimentation, save for a new, heavy use of electronics.

Part of this may stem from a desire to move toward a radio-friendly sphere—not typically thought to be a fruitful move, with regard to artistic integrity—but in doing so, the band’s output has become more cohesive. Far gone are the days of the shrieking lyrical harmonies and nine-minute movements found in past releases, for better or for worse.

If Moving Mountains has decided to go to the true mainstream, maintaining its less-than-poppy elements will be what makes it happen, allowing the band to set itself apart with a definitive brand.

Despite the new style featured throughout the album, it starts in familiar territory. Moving Mountains begins as just about all the others have: an ambient drone, which soon introduces the somewhat underwhelming first track, “Swing Set.”

This may be all too intentional, however, as it allows for the following number, “Burn Pile,” to kindle the forceful, goosebumps-inducing waves of sound that Moving Mountains cultivates so well. (The deep tubular bell tolls are a very nice touch.)

Rolling acoustic strums open “Hands”—one of the best tracks on the album—and are later accompanied by a brass section in a way that may best be described as orchestral. “Hudson” seems to echo the abrasive nature of some of Moving Mountains’ past works, by way of a quicker tempo at first (complete with a few stout guitar licks) before the track slows, until finally descending into a mess of feedback.

At its best, Moving Mountains weaves intricate guitar parts through complementary effects, peppered with euphorically thoughtful instrumentation. At its worst, the band sounds like an updated rip-off of The Fray.

Moving Mountains’ third LP has a near-even split of both polar ends. Notable are the handful of tracks that blend the two elements well: poppy, middle-of-the-road light rock, and piquant, ambient post-something. If Moving Mountains can perfect the combination and further develop a more personal signature, it may very well find incredible success.

Moving Mountains – Moving Mountains tracklist:

1. “Swing Set”
2. “Burn Pile”
3. “Hands”
4. “Seasonal”
5. “Eastern Leaves”
6. “Hudson”
7. “Under a Falling Sky”
8. “Chords”
9. “Apsides”

There have been few groups to come blazing out of the gate the like Glaswegian trio CHVRCHES, with the confidence of roaring synthesizers and a prowess for pop that would make the both the Billboard charts and Pitchfork’s lists swoon.

Crystal Stilt’s new album Nature Noir is a mopey, psychedelic rock-n-roll daydream.

“I woke up with the spirit in front of me,” vocalist Brad Hargett sings on opening track “Spirit In Front of Me.” The introduction sets the album’s hazy mood. This album from Crystal Stilts includes some newer sounds—strings are included on several tracks, such as “Star Crawl” and “Sticks and Stones”—but they still exist in groggy echoes.

“Future Folklore” is one of the tracks that lean toward rock-n-roll. Keys, percussion, and guitar licks accent this upbeat tune.

Even though musically speaking, this track is more awake than others on the album, Hargett’s voice is still a somber drone. JB Townsend’s guitar strums tend to dictate the tone and melody of each track, but sly guitar licks on “Future Folklore” give the song a bluesy feel.

Some experimental outros, such as those on “Sticks and Stones,” are nice additions between tracks. They provide refreshing breaks between the otherwise daze-like melodies. One settles into the hypnotic rhythms and sounds of the album, but these unexpected disruptions keep it all from blending together.

Sonically, “World Gone Weird” is one of Nature Noir‘s standout tracks. Halfway through the song, the established beat takes a dreamy turn, losing the melody in a daze, only to sync back up again after an eternity of 15 seconds.

The melody also breaks with the lyrics, “Worlds gone weird/We’re still here.” Throughout the album, psychedelic breaks appear in unexpected places, making some pleasant sonic surprises.

On “Darken The Door,” Crystal Stilts adds beats reminiscent of a circus—if that circus were being rewound with reverb, that is. These little moments make Nature Noir a darker album than one might initially realize.

It never steps into a truly gloomy territory, but some of the less melodic sounds that Crystal Stilts produces are somewhat eerie, like the sounds are swirling around together, rather than being organized into a coherent beat. It makes the album intriguingly trippy.

The final track of Nature Noir is slow and sentimental. With strings and a mellow, acoustic feel,“Phases Forever” doesn’t have as intense a presence as some of the other tracks. It feels like the slowest song on the album;  the 20 seconds of reverb at the end of the track bring the album to a quiet close.

This release is, at times, darker than Crystal Stilts’ previous work. The band’s last two releases, In Love With Oblivion and Alright of Night, both had distinct surf-rock qualities that made them seem a little lighter. Nature Noir also has a more mature sound; there seems to be more intention in the musical composition.

Nature Noir is an interesting album. It is clearly thought out, and overall is a step up for Crystal Stilts. The band maintains its moseying psychedelia quality, but with a more polished and cohesive approach.

Crystal Stilts – Nature Noir tracklist:

1. “Spirit In Front of Me”
2. “Star Crawl”
3. “Future Folklore”
4. “Sticks and Stones”
5. “Memory Room”
6. “Worlds Gone Weird”
7. “Darken the Door”
8. “Electrons Rising”
9. “Nature Noir”
10. “Phases Forever”