"Ever Lovin' Man" and "I Hear Sirens" hark back clearly to earlier days and offer aural signposts to those lost by the wandering "Sherlock Holmes" or the subtle, layered closer, "La Fin du Monde." (Collins singing in French? Gorgeous.) The most ambitious song, even if it is not quite successful, is "Race to the Bottom," featuring eight minutes of noise, computer-generated effects and feedback: no vocals, just scream-moans, and the deft hand of these magical noise makers.
-- CAREY MURPHY
DOWNLOAD: "La Fin du Monde"
THROW ME THE STATUE
Moonbeams
3 STARS
& lt;span class= & quot;dropcap & quot; & T & lt;/span & hrow Me the Statue is a Seattle fivesome that mixes sounds resembling Of Montreal's electronics, Ukulele's organic sounds and Jeff Mangum's acoustic guitar. It's a hard sound to pin down, and its influences are widespread. One thing is for sure: Throw Me the Statue blends an upbeat spirit of fun with a sense of serious musicianship.
Originally released on Baskerville Hill Records last December, Moonbeams is a buoyant indie pop album that maintains its balance. Instead of falling over to the opposing sides of cop-out folk or self-righteous experimentalism, front man Scott Reitherman treads the line beautifully. Amid the various noise makers, static fuzz and honest guitar, the music of Throw Me the Statue features a lot of homeyness. Without being fluff, it personifies summer.
-- RACHEL SIEMENS
DOWNLOAD: "Lolita"
