John Vanderslice

John Vanderslice has always brought a cinematic flair to his storytelling techniques. His best songs double as short films, with enough of a story line to get you hooked, and enough mystery to keep you guessing. Pixel Revolt uses these juxtapositions to great effect: "Exodus Damage" segues from reports of the 9/11 attacks to a chorus that references video-game craze Dance Dance Revolution, mixing political worries and pop-culture detritus into the album's strongest song. But Revolt is hardly the digital explosion its title suggests. Whereas last year's Cellar Door trafficked in splintering distortion and serpentine drum programming, Vanderslice's latest tells its story in an unadorned style, with simple piano and reverberating vibraphones adding to the spacious sound. While this is certainly a down-tempo record, the allegiance to melody and classic pop choruses is in full view, as is his rampant wit. "CRC 7173, Affectionately" sounds like a mash note to (or from) a graphing calculator.