For a two-piece band,
Quasi sure does make a lot of noise. Their second CD,
R&B Transmogrification, is filled with indie-pop gems buried under layers of textured sound, bringing to mind the best work of Up labelmates
Built to Spill. Sam Coomes' nasal vocals, also reminiscent of Built to Spill's Doug Marsch, are often plaintive, but never dull. Using a heavily distorted "Rocksichord" -- an electronic keyboard invented to approximate the sound of a harpsichord -- as its central instrument,
R&B Transmogrification combines a retro feel with a healthy helping of grunge, sort of
the Doors meets
Pavement. Best of all are the songs, which include "Ballad of Mechanical Man" (which uses the lyrics "soon we'll all be dead" as its creepy, catchy hook) and "Birds Eyes View" (written by drummer
Janet Weiss of
Sleater-Kinney), which recalls the work of the
Magnetic Fields and
Brian Eno.