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With an EP under their belt when they were named Invisible, Portland's Antlerand has emerged with a new name and an impressive debut LP of artfully arranged pop that melds a sophisticated rhythmic sensibility, jazzy flourishes, sudued electronics, strong melodies, the moods and dynamics of dream-pop, varied instrumentation, and some orchestrated vocal harmonies.
After an almost ambient intro, album opener "Rows of Unbending Lines" swells to a crescendo, ebbs, and crests again with crashing cymbals and strident guitars. "Now It's a Year" and "Brighter Rays" are piano-driven pop inflected with subdued electronics; the former features a guest contribution of some sort from Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney and Quasi, and the latter has syncopated high-hat and wordy, ranting vocals à la Modest Mouse—at least until the squawking free-jazz saxophones shoulder them out of the way. The band has wisely recruited a female guest vocalist to handle the lovely melody of "Maybe We're Still Running" and to duet with singer Chris Larson (no vocal slouch himself) on the brief ballad "We Know Better." The former track and several others feature vibes and bells, putting Antlerand in good company with fellow mallet-wielders Aloha, though that band hasn't combined those instruments with banjo and trumpets the way Antlerand does on "On Their Screen." Also like Aloha, a Sea and Cake influence can be heard on a few tracks, like "Not the Next Anything" and "Make Nothing Happen," with jazzy Prekop-esque plucked guitar and sighing vocals. The former song is distinctive for its string section and sleighbells. The album closes with two moody instrumentals, the piano-led "Three (In a Tree)" and an unlisted bonus track with tremolo and slide guitar. Special mention must be made of Antlerand's rhythm section, which holds things down with musical drumming and some solid basslines.
Antlerand is apparently a multimedia entity, with their live show accompanied by projected video art by Larson. I've not witnessed this, and no video content is included on the disc, but really the music stands on its own. Their musical vision could maybe stand a little honing, but that doesn't detract from the strength of this album, and it leaves me eagerly anticipating their next one. (mike.06.06)
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