The Liptonians

A collection of lurching folk-pop (folk as in "enduring," not finger-picking) like Let's All March Back Into The Sea is hard to sustain. Luckily, some roiling creativity helps things along in the case of the Liptonians, who are not merely content taking food out of the mouths of the inexplicably popular Edward Sharpe. Opener "You Know I Did" is just a peek at things to come. The record really gets going on "Hey! Hey! Help Is On Its Way!," a point where "infectious" starts to scuttle its way across your head, the repeating keys and vocals coaxing a welcome sing-along. "Growing Old in the City" is an accordion-driven dirge with the sinister excised, echoing through a quieter second act and prefacing lyrical fireworks in "Perfect Swimmers." Things drag a bit in "Ghosts in My Garden" and then pick up mightily for the marvellous "Lesage," again with keys and trumpets that would make Nathan Johnson smile broadly. The Liptonians haven't reinvented any genres with their latest LP, but by treating pop as a shape rather than a restriction, they display an intimidating talent and demand your attention.