Constellations

Constellations has pushed itself out of the shadow of danceable post-punk, thanks to the addition of experimental noise auteur (and second percussionist) Corey Brown, who's taken on some of the songwriting duties. Necrogeister begins with the ominous yet lively title track, which initially sounds familiar, then takes a turn into weirder and more adventurous territory. The song's ferociously catchy rhythms leave the average listener unprepared for the avant-noise of "Love Level (Evolve)/Exit Shock" that comes next -- but the jarring aesthetic of "Love" makes the relatively conventional tracks that bookend it seem all the more interesting. "Fettered While I Sleep," meanwhile, sounds like a long-lost Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd song, with ghostly backing vocals echoing from inner space. Picking up where Autechre left off on Untilted, Necrogeister provides a fascinating polyrhythmic and polyphonic listen of its own.