Alan Alda

On II's opener, "Allison," Alan Alda steps away from its proggy indie-rock sound for a few moments to allow Luke Goodhue to croon about a bittersweet memory. "Logarithms," meanwhile, finds the band striking melodic atmospheres bolstered by muscular rhythms. The song's dark tone is a bit of a departure for...

By Tom Murphy

September 23, 2010

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On II's opener, "Allison," Alan Alda steps away from its proggy indie-rock sound for a few moments to allow Luke Goodhue to croon about a bittersweet memory. "Logarithms," meanwhile, finds the band striking melodic atmospheres bolstered by muscular rhythms. The song's dark tone is a bit of a departure for the group, whose earlier material was dynamically bombastic. The dynamism is still there, but there's a greater emphasis on subtler moods and layered textures. "Bikes" bears this out by varying tone and pacing within a song in a way that's hyperkinetic without seeming busy. Closing with "Wings," the act sounds like it's toying with pulling more blues influences out of its closet. With this second EP, Alan Alda shows growth without artistic compromise.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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Twitter: @simianthinker