On 2004's brilliantly spiky mini-album Three Fingers, the Rogers Sisters perfected the bouncy-yet-taut sound they originated on Purely Evil. On their Too Pure debut, The Invisible Deck, they sound just as insistent but a little less impish as they expand their palette to include slower tempos, different instrumentation, and a wider emotional range (all of which are present on the spooky, sinuous, flute-embellished "Your Littlest World"). "Never Learn to Cry" -- which sports great lyrics like "do memories forget when no one is around?" -- and "Emotion Control" are both surprisingly vulnerable moments from a band whose usual emotional state lies somewhere between clever and cheeky. "Money Matters" is similarly brooding as well as musically eclectic, moving from Who-inspired guitar poses to reflective, slowly building harmonies. Though The Invisible Deck is only ten songs long, the album still has enough room for songs that sound more typically like the Rogers Sisters, including the fierce little rocker "The Clock" and "You Undecided," which shows once again that the band has a real talent for crafting catchy, hilariously mean putdowns. The Invisible Deck is often dark and scattered, and doesn't provide the rush of instant gratification that Three Fingers and Purely Evil do, but its growth and promise are more exciting in their own right.
© Heather Phares /TiVo