Decoy

Two of the more endearing, or maddening, quirks of indie pop are the propensities to make inspired complexity sound like so many casually tossed-off, idle notions and to put catchy, simple songs through their paces like a mad genius. Decoy, bless ‘em, prove they’re quite comfortable with both approaches. Laser Thinking, even more than its ugly/pretty predecessor Volv, lurches further into the shapeless pop of the Spiny Anteaters and also into the jagged pop shards of the likes of Polvo, craftily whittling tunefully raw gems out craggy lumps of rock and perversely detouring melodic strolls down winding paths best left to free jazz voyagers. It adds up to something more than a tantalising glimpse of what music the Toronto-based outfit, now consisting solely of singer-guitarist Bruce Lynn, is thinking about, but it also leaves me feeling like I’m just not in on the joke.