Thee More Shallows

God bless control freaks. From Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle to the La’s notorious Lee Mavers, there are always people who will whittle away the hours of the day twiddling endless knobs trying to get something to sound just right. Although efficiency may not be their forte, you can’t argue with results. Thee More Shallows’ Dee Kesler has apparently been working on this album on and off for the past three years and apparently the results are finally up to snuff to open it to the rest of the world. And, luckily, those years were not wasted. Look beyond the opener "Post-Present” and instead revel in "Freshman Thesis,” which brims with originality. Rollicking between the intermingling electronic beats and violins, which are very reminiscent of Arab Strap, and the crunchy guitar, it’s a fresh breath of beauty and sharp melody. For more post-rock tendencies, look to "Cloisterphobia” with its menacing vocals, quaking bass and tension thick enough to clog the speakers. Kesler has fashioned an exacting album that feels like it fits perfectly to one man’s vision, and this particular feverous vision is definitely a sweeping one. The title really does get to the heart of the album as these subtle, slow and beautiful stories leave much more than a scratch upon your mind.