Ladybug Transistor makes delicate music. It's not that the band doesn't go uptempo, just that the sound remains gentle. If hard-rockers are most commonly found thrashing around a stage with a phallic guitar, then Transistor is the guy in the back of the room wearing a black beret and casually bobbing his head to the beat. On Beverley Atonale, Ladybug Transistor delivers a gorgeous suite of gentle, quiet pop music, infused with melody and hooks but never overtaking the listener. The lyrics are esoteric and often incomprehensible, but you gather quickly that words aren't really the point -- the band aims to set a tone more with its sound than with witty wordplay. The album is heavily influenced by the past, by such artists as
the Beach Boys and
Burt Bacharach -- "Windy" swipes its opening drum riff from
Phil Spector and slides effortlessly into a trumpet-driven light pop tune with some great guitar riffs. The production is airy and full of space; though the sounds fit together, they also linger on their own far beyond each song's duration. On the whole,
Beverly Atonale is the perfect driving music for a rainy summer day. ~ Matthew Springer