Rating: NNNN
Twelve years in, Mice Parade aren’t aging. They are, however, looking back in a good way. Their latest album is broader in its sonic experimentation and more accessible. At no point are listeners left stranded in a land of offbeat drum solos and tangential world music.
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Instead, delicate Swahili vocals and multi-layered percussion welcome you. The trendy African rhythms don’t last long, as leader Adam Pierce and company move quickly (but not frenetically) into flamenco feel-goodness on the highlight Do Your Eyes See Sparks, featuring endearingly whispered vocals from Caroline Lufkin.
The album also hints at bossa nova and jazz but never abandons the post-rock sounds that are the band’s forte. The most inviting Mice Parade effort to date.
Top track: Do Your Eyes See Sparks
Mice Parade march into the El Mocambo September 29.
