Rob Crow and Armistead B. Smith IV continue to create complex indie pop with smart, subtle structures on Pinback's Offcell. Vocal tracks harmonize, electronics punctuate, guitars punch clean, key changes shift quickly, and syncopated drums all swirl in the thick instrumentation, giving Offcell many dimensions. The members of Pinback write their own material that covers different areas, including the straight-ahead pop of "Microtonic Wave," angular prog rock of "B," and guitar-driven loopy Folk Implosion sound of the title track. "Victorious D" shows off the angular post-rock smarts of Pinback. Driving bass pumps along, while keys change and the keyboards accent sentimental vocals. "Grey Machine" is a catchy, repetitive gem that rounds out Offcell. This track has a different feel from the rest of the record, offering big drums against layers of vocals, keyboards, guitars, and programming, sounding like a mellow Built to Spill. Each of the tracks has interesting electric outro melodies that are thrown in for fun; some lead into the next track, while others leave you wondering where that melody could have landed. Possibly the future of Pinback? Perhaps. But Pinback doesn't stray too far from its previous work; all of the tunes are enjoyable and never get boring. If you are familiar with Pinback, Offcell is good, but doesn't break new ground.
© David Serra /TiVo