Boy in Static

As they say, nothing stays the same forever, and this includes San Francisco's Boy In Static. Now a two-piece, this Alexander Chen-led project are apparently done with the shy-guy routine, saying goodbye to slow-paced indie electronica and hello to an ambitious song-based approach. In theory, it's not a bad idea but on the duo's third album, Candy Cigarette, Boy In Static have a tough time pulling this one off, not for lack of effort but often because of too much of it. This is especially true when it comes to Chen's Bryan Ferry-aping vocals, which are flamboyant at best and simply over-the-top at worst. The arrangements on Candy Cigarette fair a little better, often mixing viola and toy piano with some decent Anticon-styled beats, and the odd guest, like Ulrich Schnauss, adds some nice contributions. But Boy In Static's constant strive for grandeur can be trying and for the most part, Candy Cigarette just takes itself way too seriously.