In Portland, Oregon, there's no defined style, just restless, relentless creativity. On his/their debut LP (following his solo 2009 debut EP Ümlaüt and two singles), this quartet adds cinematic ambition without succumbing to its accompanying vice, hubris. Though it's recorded in a basement studio and lake house, Numbers sounds brightly clean, with songs built on electric piano parts that feel like the '70s (from ELO to Elton John), and John Craig's thin, not reedy voice singing words exploring the elusiveness of enduring relationships. Stylistically, they’re all over the map -- too much sometimes, given that brief, white funk is better avoided, though there's surprisingly credible rap from Gold on "The Only Way (Neck)" -- and modest efforts like the male/female duet "Sink of Swim" work. Besides, as the key tune suggests, "Try to make some more mistakes/you're better off the more you make." How else can you learn?
© Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover /TiVo