Described by the band as the "younger sister" to 2005's
Horus, the lilting, crazed, and highly intoxicating
Tum, recorded in a mere two weeks, is as fresh a collection of neo-psychedelic folk-rock as anything
Animal Collective or
the Skygreen Leopards have let out their cages. Originally released in 2004/2005 as a limited-edition, hand-numbered, vinyl-only collectors item,
Tum is a highly charged romp through windflowers and weeds, with short orchestral segues that sound ripped from the old reels of an early
Incredible String Band recording session. Less experimental cuts like "Florida River Springs," "Pixie Pride," and "Our Love Lives" will appeal to fans of the Indiana band's early albums, while the pastoral freak-out numbers such as "Twisted Sol Epoch" and "Hathor" will appease those with darker tastes. Like
Deerhoof with banjos, the
Impossible Shapes are both quirky and tough, wringing pop songs out of the avant -garde with increasingly thrilling results. ~ James Christopher Monger