Grrr...

Recorded and mixed by the excellent Bryce Goggin, Grrr... sounds immaculate: The guitars are sharp. The drums are steady. The harmonies are supple. Its various strings, shakers, and horns captured and layered into a well-spaced, easily listenable whole. After a spin or three, a handful of Grrr...'s 13 tracks should stick, too, whether it's the vibraphone-abetted "The Lion & the Teacup" or the squiggling, lustful plunder-like-pirates number, "Shanghaied". And maybe being swept up by a hook or two is enough, but much like the politely irritated word it takes for its name, the too-pleasant Grrr... concedes to middle-of-the-road safety, hoping to offend no one and, in the process, says absolutely nothing.