The Dodos

The Dodos’ Visiter starts off pleasantly enough with "Walking,” a rustic, country-ish ditty that’s pretty and tuneful. Just when you’re preparing to settle in for what you think will be a sweet, lulling album, second track "Red and Purple” tumbles onto the scene, a sprawling mess of clattering percussion and high energy chants. It’s a completely unexpected shift, a welcome jolt that draws you in and raises expectations. And early on, there’s plenty of encouraging signs: the Dodos deliver a strong melodic aesthetic anchored by clever leftfield rhythms and an endearing quirkiness. However, about halfway through the album it becomes clear that some judicious editing is needed. The loose percussion and yelping that were once charming get overused and the album takes on a bit of a sub-Animal Collective tint. There is an excess of songs that venture too familiarly north of the five-minute barrier. Besides, there are too many of them — 14 songs that draw from a limited bag of tricks will test anyone’s patience. There are good ideas here but being more selective would have done wonders for Visiter.