This consistently superlative NYC post-punk quartet turns a new corner with its fifth outing. Moderating the spellbinding verbosity that saturated previous high-water marks like “Ducking & Dodging” from 2014’s Sunbathing Animal gives this latest batch more space to develop and marinate. Droll opener “Dust” cops a minimalist German prog groove that worms into the subconscious, and the title track’s meditation on relational breakdown crushes a trad-pop tear jerk in on itself. “One Man, No City” steers a breezy bongo jam into a fusillade of fuzz. (Sat., 4:35pm, Reverberation stage)
This article appears in April 29 • 2016.
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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.
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