A Different Ship

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Radiohead's Thom Yorke praised this group, considering singer Luke Temple shares an airy vocal delivery and a producer (Nigel Godrich) with him. The Brooklyn quintet goes for clean, deceptively complex instrumentation. This creates a slippery sound that's hard to categorize but plenty fun to pull apart. "Make Up Your Mind" shimmers with keyboards floating in and out of the mix and a supple rhythm that's just shy of world beat. "Alone but Moving" starts with simple, unadorned guitar chords before slowly expanding into a full stereo blowout. The kinetic energy adds a neurotic edge, while the musicians' versatility brings forth a restrained lushness. "I Believe in Action" spotlights fine harmonies. "Made to Be Old" rolls onward with touches of surf guitar and falsetto vocals. "How Do I Know" sprints ahead with a sound that resembles Face Dances–era Who. The influences are likely happy accidents, the result of talented musicians trying new things and tweaking the results.