Jackrabbit, the sophomore effort from Brooklyn baroque-pop octet San Fermin, often resembles the animal of its title: excitable, prone to quick movement, tough to pin down. With mixed results, it bolts in and out of myriad carefully composed sounds that obscure the line from A to B while embracing tangents.
It begins strong, its chamber pop punctuated by complex arrangements. The cool, calm Emily drifts along with minor-key tension, while the staccato Philosopher sets a groove that unfortunately disappears in the unfocused midsection, which is like an interlude gone on too long. Out on the other end, though, is the excellent cinematic melodrama of Reckoning and the climactic Two Scenes.
Carried by the contrasting vocals of Charlene Kaye (soaring, delicate) and Allen Tate (low, monotone) and masterful arrangements by chief composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, Jackrabbit is smart, charming and ambitious. But it would have been a lot more concise without the filler tracks in the middle.
Top track: Two Scenes
San Fermin play NXNE on June 18.