Chainsaw Kittens

A strange one, this. The fifth album by this Oklahoma band is steady, mid-tempo, low-budget indie rock with new wave synths, occasional Wire riffs, glam textures, lots of piano flourishes and a good sense of humour. For examples of the latter, check out the track "Gleaming Soft White Teens," apparently about models on acid, or the smacked-out double-cover of "We Got the Beat/Nightclubbing." Tyson Meade's warble-y tenor doesn't always work, particularly in falsetto, and the piano is a tad over-used (and sometimes over '70s), but this is overall a successful and novel album. Who can resist kitties?