Tom Lynch

The incessant snare-hitting that opens Bon Savant's "Post-Rock Saves the Nation" leads to a great album opener in "What We Need," leader Thom Moran's deep, brooding vocals heading a guitar-heavy, keyboard-glittered march into indie-pop mayhem. The Boston band's debut is heady at times, mathematical at others (Moran is a scientist at MIT) and powder-puffy at others, but lovely in its Brit-pop swagger and sex appeal--the collection of rock songs never bores. "Between The Moon & The Ocean" has to be the record's catchiest song--a delayed clean guitar and a simple deep bass lovingly drive the hook as Moran's summertime chorus announces that "Uh-oh, Uh-oh, you kiss like a Russian/ We sank so low between the moon and the ocean." A bit like Pulp in form and heart-on-sleeve cleverness, Bon Savants angular, elegant pop is filled with enough oddity, fuzziness and atypical drumming to keep it from being drab, and Moran's voice, confident and smooth, never quits its admirable laziness. (Tom Lynch)

Bon Savants play November 20 at Schubas, 3159 North Southport, (773)525-2508, at 8pm. $5 (that's a steal!). (2006-11-14)

Also by Tom Lynch

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While last year's "Picaresque" was a phenomenal feat, a celebration of wordy lyricism and acoustic-driven indie-pop told with Colin Meloy's sharp voice through Chris Walla's epic production, the band's new record, "The Crane Wife," isn't quite as stunning, but pretty damn close
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Prolific New York songwriter Anders Parker released another solo record on Tuesday, a self-titled, introspective collection of pop-folk songs that are as comforting and modest as anything else he's done
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With "Of Course" and "At Home with Owen," the Kinsella brothers may have made the best records of their respective careers.
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