In Medias Res

There's no denying In Medias Res's perseverance. The Vancouver, BC band formed more than a decade ago, and they haven't released an album since 2003's Of What Was. This sophomore LP has been a long time coming and that explains why it sounds a little out of date. The band draw heavily upon Pedro the Lion and '90s-era Radiohead, with ten gloomy songs brimming with atmospheric production and soaring melodrama. The best moments come when they venture cautiously away from their radio-ready rock sound. "The Final Flight of the Bees" and "Hollis" contain some impressively noisy guitar freak-outs, while the downcast verses of "Come Back Down" give way to a delicately restrained chorus. Hopefully we won't have to wait another eight years to see whether In Medias Res can build upon these successes.