Map of What Is Effortless was probably anything but effortless in its creation. Crisp, majestic, and swirling, this sophomore record trumps their debut in spades.
Fahrenheit Fair Enough (the group's 2001 fine enough in its own right debut) noodled with a mix of post-rock aesthetics filtered through beats split apart on a G4 and chilled, where
Map brings the grandeur of radio-inflected soul, motion picture soundtrack pads, and even a little bravado with a production frame that kills anything found on the dial. Beautiful vocal performances easily float around
Telefon Tel Aviv's crisp claps and melodic progressions. Each track floats on by, and that's the effortless part of it -- this record is over before you know it. Highlights include the cocky "My Week Beats Your Year" and the sensitive "Nothing Is Worth Losing That," but there's hardly a weak moment here.
TTA manage to not only make their first great album, but also put in the first entry for the best of 2004.