The Books build 21st-century schizoid chamber pop from found audio, electronic loops, and carefully manipulated string parts. On The Way Out, self-help coaches and charismatic preachers hold forth, kids lob colorful taunts, and everyone blurts non sequiturs that interact with chiming guitars, ambient chords, and bouncy dance grooves. The rich vocal and string textures develop the music beyond mere outré experimentation, pushing these surprisingly melodic, constantly kinetic pieces past incidental background music and into an engaging pop foreground.
Music Review: Pushing Pop’s Boundaries
