Boris

Those who think Boris reinvented themselves on Attention Please don't know Boris. Their third release of 2011, Attention Please (released the same day as Heavy Rocks), demonstrates the Japanese trio's modus operandi: that having a modus operandi is futile. Although the band have never done this on such a grand scale, Boris almost completely stray from their stoner/drone roots to deliver a psychedelic/shoegaze sound anchored by the wispy vocals of guitarist Wata. Just as the band tinkered with pop on this year's Japan-only New Album (from which the songs "Hope," "Party Boy" and "Spoon" are lifted), much of this album swings from chugging '80s college rock (demonstrated by the drum machine-assisted "Attention Please") to rumbling soundscapes (the echo-pedal symphony of "See You Next Week") to simple guitar-driven post-rock (the early Blonde Redhead vibe of "Spoon"). Over ten tracks, Boris come off as a band with a great understanding of indie's best genres, proving that Attention Please doesn't work solely because of its novelty, although, mostly, it does.