Uncanney Valley

Uncanney Valley

Ten years after its 2003 breakup and 12 years after its last album, The Dismemberment Plan returns and retains much of what made it a worthy band to consider in previous decades, all while sounding more relaxed and less skittish. The maturity here is natural for people 10 years older, but here it’s never at the expense of intensity or the sly weirdness that helped the band stand apart. There’s a quick, jaded wit to “Living in Song,” where the band relives its past by observing it from afar. “Lookin’” throws together a jocular flow, with note-perfect pop-harmony backing vocals and smooth keyboards remaining a steady constant behind lyrics that never sweat the small stuff. Nope; Travis Morrison, freed from solo duty, is having a blast with his sillier side on “Daddy Was a Real Good Dancer,” “Let’s Just Go to the Dogs Tonight," and “No One’s Saying Nothing,” where he’s found a computer that feeds him drugs when he hits the space bar. The other band members, sensing their leader’s engagement, play along affably.

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