The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/17/08 Section: Out & About

Packway Handle Band

Self-titled

Anyone who ever thought bluegrass music isn't original or surprising should look no further than to Athens' very own Packway Handle Band.

The five-piece's eponymous third album may not mine unfamiliar terrain, but their biggest strength lies in the stunning level of professional musicianship. Driven by instrumental virtuosity and anchored by intricate four-part harmonies, the band has found a near-perfect balance between traditional bluegrass structures and adventurous jam passages.

While the vocals are certainly impressive, it's the music that steals the show. The fiddle and the mandolin are the brightest beacons of light throughout the album, especially on the exotic instrumental "Spanish Scissors," which sounds like a band of flamenco gypsies that have gotten lost in the antebellum South, and "Tossin' the Beefcake," a more orthodox number where each member tosses solo passages back and forth at breakneck speed.

Another praiseworthy note: unlike so many of their genre's peers, Packway Handle avoids succumbing to the temptation of cliché-ridden lyrics. While the lyrics are bound together with country-esque themes (titles such as "Tuggin' at the Corn," a song devoted to ducks, or the opening cut about their good friend, Jack Daniels), they function as quirky and interesting rather than predictable.

Other highlights: "Downpour" takes the band as close to blues territory as they get, and guest vocalist Jessica Horwitz's soulful heartland voice steers "River Delta" to success, adding a unique dynamic to the record.

Verdict: Not life-changing, but engaging and professional enough to appeal to fans of - and outside - the bluegrass genre.

- John Barrett

MGMT

Oracular Spectacular

From the weird world of Wesleyan College to the late-night lights of Letterman, MGMT (abbreviation for The Management) slowly is becoming a crossover sensation and 2008's breakout frontrunner. Now featuring former Whig Hank Sullivant, the band is finally releasing "Oracular Spectacular" - its debut on Columbia Records following a series of independent EPs with killer cult status. The LP's best bets are the re-imagined versions of songs from the former EPs, most notably the anthems "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" with original dance breaks included, extended, and totally intact.

On a first spin, "Oracular Spectacular" takes some getting used to, filled with heavily layered and repetitive hooks as well as an upswell of inorganic experimental noise. But at its core, MGMT writes the kind of post-modern party anthems that potentially will bridge the ever-narrowing gap between avant-garde art school students, psyched-out hippie children and fraternity-fond fellows with a taste for the trippy once and for all, picking up where The Flaming Lips left off, thanks to the touches of their profound producer Dave Fridmann. Sonic walls of sound sidestep alongside good-time lyrics celebrating the vibrancy of our independence and affinity for a good time, such as on "Weekend Wars" and "The Youth." The dance floor is sure to slowly burn with the deathly catchy disco-funk dropped on "Electric Feel" and the band takes a friendly freak-folk turn on "The Handshake" as the album forges to its closer "Future Reflections."

Verdict: It might take a few tries, but MGMT will get you good and grooving guaranteed.

- Sami Promisloff

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