dd/mm/yyyy

If it's true that consistency is, in fact, key, then Toronto, ON's DD/MM/YYYY have unlocked the intricacies of their winning formula. The sort of noisy, jerky art-rock upon which their modest, semi-buzz-worthy career has been built is ample on Black Square, as is an ever-expanding selection of hooks. They don't grab you by the throat but instead stay hidden at the end of the maze of guitars, and tactfully underneath the usual DD/MM/YYYY onslaught of synths and shouts. "Birdtown" unfortunately drones into a deterrent, challenging even the most dedicated of listeners to remember what happens next, and quantity once again triumphs over quality two tracks later on "Lismer," with a directionless, smudgy assault. Recovery comes quickly with the subtly melodic, almost pretty, "Real Eyes," and on the closing two tracks, which recall the album's more structured opening, they go all Fugazi with the time signatures and are more deliberate with the guitars than it initially seems.