Rogue Wave

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• Rogue Wave (Musical Group)

Though the album was released last year as a lo-fi debut from a band that surprised critics with its maturity, Sub Pop is re-releasing Rogue Wave's Out of the Shadow. The cleaner sound serves its songs well, considering that on acoustic-driven folk tunes like "Be Kind & Remind" you can all but see guitarist Gram LeBron's golden fingers gliding over the scales. If that title doesn't immediately turn you off, you'll enjoy Rogue Wave's brand of '60s-inspired melodic mastery. That's not to say the members don't do their share of rockin' out. On tracks like "Endless Shovel," ennui is played out against buzzing samples and twanging, processed guitar. But it's the act's vocal harmonies and intricate yet immediate hooks that stick like Krazy Glue. The '70s-ballad-esque "Falcon Settles Me" sinks into the grey matter with its melancholic but spirit-lifting chorus. Countrified songs like "Postage Stamp World" are offset by sonically experimental tracks such as "Sewn Up." The irony of this title lies in the fact that by end of the song, the tight instrumentation completely falls apart, but does it methodically. Rogue Wave's structure is often similarly circular. But that doesn't detract from its obvious talent for creating trance-like melodies and deeply-layered dimensions that leave listeners blissfully unaware of the group's infancy.