Faraquet

Taking their cues from fellow Capitol-region renegades the Dismemberment Plan and Roads to Space Travel, Faraquet, a trio formed two years ago from the ashes of Smart Went Crazy, delivers a mesmerising blend of jagged, jazz-tinged, indie math rock. From the short, sharp horn blasts of "Song For Friends To Me" to the meandering drone of "Conceptual Separation of Self" and the rollicking gallop of "Study in Complacency," The View... is anything but predictable. But that's not to say this disc's nine tracks are all unintelligible stuttering, off-tempo mind fucks. With production help from Burning Airlines front-man J. Robbins, who definitely knows a good melody when he hears one and also knows how to rock when it's required, Faraquet also extracts a few catchy melodies to fill the gaps between the algebraic outbursts. From where I stand, The View... is quite startling.