There's a subtle undercurrent of mad glee that runs through
Universe and Villa, singer/songwriter Stephen Becker's second
Le Concorde release, a subtlety that peels away with each repeated listen. This is grandly arranged -- yet deceptively simple -- metropolitan pop music in the vein of the
Beautiful South,
Belle & Sebastian and the
Magnetic Fields that oozes enough self-deprecating wit, good-natured cynicism, and pure-pop posturing to satisfy both
Morrissey and
Fountains of Wayne fans alike. Tailor-made for late night, summer-in-the-city driving, Becker's meandering voice can be both fey and brutal -- "I Hate Rock and Roll" -- but it's his soaring falsetto that's the record's most dangerous weapon. The mesmerizing "Controlling," with its Ziggy Stardust-era
Bowie-channeling-
Prince, arcs from nearly spoken word to full-on banshee wail (the album's high point), while the
ABC-inspired "Archeology of Cruelty" shows an artist who is unafraid to challenge his listener's adherence to the "genre-fication" of indie rock. While
Universe and Villa may not hit the mark all the time, it hits a couple of moments within each song every time. ~ James Christopher Monger