After roughly 5 to 6 years since their amazing debut (2004's Future Perfect), Autolux have finally made a formal return with their comfortably experimental but equally great sophomore LP Transit Transit. Whereas their first album found a formula and perfected it over the course of 50 minutes, their second breaks up the noise with spacey passages of piano and ambiguous ambiance. Though less loud overall, Transit Transit still manages to pile on the layers of sonic texture in great and surprising ways. Track 2 is an album highlight - loud and hard rocking, but restrained and accented in all the right places. From the angelic "dooh-doohs" and toy piano of the chorus to the arcing synthesizer of the outro, "Census" is Autolux at their best: unexpected and pleasingly disparate. The following track, "Highchair", treads similar ground and may be the most bewildering on the album, at least for fans of Future Perfect: Distorted chords are replaced with a skinny guitar line and drum machine, led by guitarist/pianist/vocalist Greg Edward's high-pitched and vaguely malicious vocals. It's Autolux being minimalist in other words, and it works. It breaks up the pacing of the album nicely while creating a tense moment that you can actually move your body to.
"Supertoys" should satisfy any fans itching for more Future Perfect-esque freakouts, the only huge difference being that the band have finely honed their craft even more here. Alternating lead vocals between bassist/vocalist Eugene Goreshter and drummer/vocalist Carla Azar provide the basis for a song that is elevated to even greater heights during the ending, when Edwards' bizarre guitar stylings (which few others can get away with) take center stage.
"Spots", not unlike the title track, bravely enters downtempo piano-central territory, often times sounding like French duo Air (a big compliment in my book). However, in place of the trumpet and uplifting backing vocals of Transit Transit are wailing screeches of far-off guitar and strings. It's a somber late night ballad that wouldn't look out of place playing behind Bill Murray in Lost In Translation. A sad but comforting highlight.
The Azar sung "Bouncing Wall" further pushes the band in interesting directions, as does the uncompromisingly repetitious but effective "Headless Sky." Yet, closing track "The Science of Imaginary Solutions" is more profound, bleak, and optimistic than anything else on the album. The dark lyrics and quiet/loud instrumentation grow to contrast each other in a way that isn't so much schizophrenic as it is poignant. When you hear the transition from pounding guitar, bass, and drums to piano and lyric-less vocals, it's more strikingly melancholy than off putting. Autolux make it work.
Was it worth the wait? That's up to you (and a little irrelevant at this point). The bottom line is that Greg, Eugene, and Carla have made an album that isn't safe. Better yet, they've made a good one. Transit Transit is not Future Perfect 2. The fact that they've pushed themselves while still maintaining songwriting ability in the process is a real achievement. Get listening.
