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Past releases from this band, which centers on the duo of Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns, have struck me as a bit too adult-contemporary, but there's something about this latest album that hits closer to the sweet spot. Maybe it's the presence of the delicate guitar and vocals of guest José González on several songs, swooping in like a magical amalgam of Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and Paul McCartney. Maybe the rhythms are catchier and more upbeat. Maybe the combination of vintage-sounding electronics, gentle psychedelia, and classic retro pop elements has finally hit the right balance. Several of these songs are very satisfying: the González-sung "Futures," with its Crosby Stills & Nash harmonies; the Kraftwerk-and-Krautrock inspired instrumental "Seeing Things," with its shifting time signatures and retro keyboards; the Mancini-esque horn arrangement of "Your Place"; an awesome shoegazer-disco electro-psychedelic reworking of González's own song "Crosses." I'm still not a fan of vocalist Sia Furler's bluesy inflections (or bluesy inflections in general, to be more accurate), which causes my interest to wax and wane a bit song by song, but I don't find myself reaching for the skip button either. (mike.09.06)
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