The Standard Wire Post to Wire (Yep Roc)

If Portland art rockers the Standard are Radiohead's American equivalent, then Wire Post to Wire is their Kid A. Adventurous and inventive, these nine tracks sound great even if they feel overwhelmingly sad. Frontman Tim Putnam's voice quivers through the soul-baring lament "Unicorns and Chemicals," while "Even Numbers" comes equipped with a lilting piano that duels with a manic, crisp drumbeat. Although experimental, lyrically vague numbers like "Runway Week" and "Folk Song" do require some getting used to, repeated listens reveal their true charms. The immediacy and tension of "Metropolitan" and "A Black Machine" bookend the disc with a pair of highlights that are only bested by the quirky, rhythmic standout, "Ghosts for Hire." Here, a contagious New Wave pulse meets angular riffs in the vein of Clinic, but Putnam's "No More Drugs" proclamation doesn't seem likely. After all, the bad medicine -- with the exception of the irksome "Monks in New Jersey" -- yields quite a distinct and striking display. (JOHN D. LUERSSEN)

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