One of 2005’s best albums was The High Dials “War of the Wakening Phantoms” and now this Montreal power house will unleash more of their neo-psychedelic pop with “Moon Country”. There seems to be more of Radiohead or Coldplay influence here and less overt power pop influence. The band still knows how to write a catchy single, “My Heart is Pinned To Your Sleeve” uses the indie rock model with great results. The riff heavy guitar pop that was part of The High Dials sound is still on “Oisin, My Bastard Brother,” but no other song takes that approach. The newer approach is best represented by “Killer of Dragons” which uses echoing beats and guitar melody to bring this gentle mid tempo song to life. The group still knows how to jangle on “Book Of The Dead” and it resembles U2 and Mother Hips a little here. There is a lot of music (about 67 minutes) to absorb and by the middle of this album the softer ballads like “Angels & Devils” and “Clare” have such a slow tempo and lack of hook, that I was tempted to fast forward these tracks. It finishes strong though, as “Open The Gates” is a cool flowing stoner psyche masterwork with fuzz guitar and echoes that gives The Pillbugs a run for their money. Other highlights include the lovely ethereal “Invisible Choirs” with its weaving harmonies but the dated “Space Hobo” is clearly a misfire resembling a Dandy Warhols outtake. Fans of The Flaming LIps and the above mentioned bands will enjoy this one. Older fans of the earlier stuff may want to skip this, but given a chance the quality of music and skill of the players will win you over.
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Listen to “Killer of Dragons”