Do It Quick And Painless

Lackthereof “Doomed Elephants” – Given that Danny Seim’s drumming in Menomena tends to be rather busy, flashy, and foregrounded, one might reasonably expect that his one-man-band project Lackthereof would be more or the same, or even more drum-tastic. Well, not quite: His drumming style is still immediately recognizable, but the bombast has been dialed down significantly. He focuses on keeping the songs in a tight pocket, and leaving a great deal of negative space for fluid, rumbling bass lines that roll along with a mesmerizing grace. “Doomed Elephants” is especially gorgeous in the way its trebly elements just sort of hover loosely around the groove, implying an extreme depth of field that complements Seim’s lyrics about highways, oceans, and wide-open skies. As his words contemplate the enormity of those things, and confront the relative insignificance and fragility of his life, the music conveys equal measures of dread and awe. (Click here to buy it from Barsuk.)

Elsewhere: I made a tumblr for the Fluxcast, complete with playlists for each podcast. You’re probably better off not reading those before listening, though.