Two Koreas

It's rare to read anything about Toronto, ON's Two Koreas that doesn't mention the fact that the band are made up of a handful of music and film critics or that they most definitely adhere to their admissions of love for Pavement and the Fall. Not much has changed on third full-length Science Island, at least not the most obvious markers — vocalist Stuart Berman's bossy sing-speak and the songs' overall jilted post-punk rattle — and that's perfectly okay. "Diamond Geezer" and "Disco-Slave Songs" are some of the best straightforward songs the band have produced yet, sounding sort of like self-aware indie rock party anthems. What has changed is possibly the result of producer Jon Drew (Fucked Up, Tokyo Police Club). The guitars, for instance, are a little less Stooges and a lot more swirling, wall-of-sound psych, perfectly complementing the final few hypnotizing moments on nine-minute closer "Majored In Swimming," bringing a band often exploding with referential personality to a surprisingly sincere, grounded level.