I Was Born at Night

I Was Born at Night sounds like the work of the middle band on a three-act bill at any given indie rock club: a time-killing diversion before the band the audience actually came to hear. The songs are agreeably arty guitar pop given added tension by a tightly wound rhythm section that leans towards crisp, busy drumming and basslines that carry a lot of the song's melodic weight, in keeping with the post-punk tradition. (A less muddy production that emphasized the bottom end would have been greatly appreciated on songs like the propulsive "Christmas Isn't Christmas.") Singer Jarvis Tavierne has a pleasant but entirely anonymous voice, which actually does the songs a favor, because it allows the listener to ignore the strained, too-clever lyrics of songs like "House of Cats." There's one bright spot on I Was Born at Night, a genuinely terrific rocker called "A Few Minutes an Hour" that recalls classic Superchunk. The rest of the album is nice enough, but nothing special.