This New Jersey/NewYork-area trio have come a long way in four years. Their almost Cars-like new wave rock with the more aggressive indie-guitar rock edge, released on various 7"s on their own Fine Corinthian label, has gradually given way to this mature second LP. Sympathetically, exquisitely produced by old dB's/Wygals stalwart Gene Holder in Hoboken, a cogent, resourceful LP unfolds, made up of burbling, loping bass (often the lead instrument; it's the key here); careful acoustic and jangled electric guitar textures; steady, unobtrusive, smart beats; and sneaky vocal passages that avoid verse-chorus-verse but pull you in anyway. The feel is methodical, allowing surprising, complex movements to boil over toward quiet eruptions on standouts such as the title track. And when they occasionally hint at their past, songs such as the closing "History of Chicago" come with a sharpness that befits their increased experience. An extremely well-conceived work in a time when too many contemporaries lack imagination. ~ Jack Rabid