Lepid Opera

The Moths' guitar dynamics are breathtaking, recalling the raw excitement and muscular melody of downtown New York City ancestors Television. On Lepid Opera, the guitars cascade, stutter, tumble, and spiral against the powerful rhythm section as if everyone in the group is playing for their lives. The sonic range is also impressive, moving from an indie rock guitar attack that calls to mind Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies to soaring guitar pop and occasional country twang. "Wesley Willis," a tribute to the schizophrenic, potty-mouthed singer/songwriter, even adopts a driving disco beat, eventually dissolving into guitar hiss and skronk. The jagged, staccato guitars and driving melody of "Joking" recall a time in the 1980s when brilliant guitar bands roamed the college rock underground and iconoclasts like Mission of Burma walked the earth. "Sunday Morning" may call to mind a Velvet Underground song of the same name, but the tune is all Moths, full guitars that alternately jangle and roar.