Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - The Dust of Retreat

Right from the first track, "A Sea Chanty of Sorts," it's clear that Margot & the Nuclear So and So's have a flair for both the dramatic and the erratic. Their rich, textured sound is at times anciently instrumental and powerful, at others, mechanically rhythmic and synthetically modern. A pair of haunting, siren-like voices that hum through the reverberations anchor the piece. Transitioning into "Skeleton Key," it's suddenly anchors aweigh as the album shifts into kitsch rock. The mysterious playfulness of the rhythm remains throughout the many shifts, held together by Richard Edwards’ poetic lyrics: “Love is an inkless pen/it’s a tavern, it’s sin/it’s a horrible way to begin.” I find myself inescapably comparing this group to The Charlatans; these are storytelling singers who aren’t afraid to chart a path across unsullied waters. At the same time, songs like “Quiet as a Mouse” seem like they could be one of Coldplay’s guitar ballads, tinkering electronic keyboard and all. They just need to be careful: sometimes they grow more intellectual than emotional, and all the smart musical tricks in the world can’t stop them from overthinking a song to death. “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” is an excellent urban folk song, but it’s so scaled that it begins to lose its potency. (The excellent production values and spot-on segues do help keep things rolling somewhat-merrily along.) Be glad for the songs like “Barfight Revolution, Power Violence” that serve as a reminder that this group can work the harder rhythms just as lightly as they slam the softer ones. Margot & the Nuclear So and So's work better with the strange than the humane – Jesse Lee's exquisite cello and Andy Fry's chilling use of the melodica makes all the difference on a song like "Dress me like a clown." It allows the band to become a collective, musical art project, rather than just another generic group that's experimenting. And nothing can prepare you for "Paper Kitten Nightmare," a song that turns a chorus of meows into a trippy medley of beats that range from light rock to angst-driven jazz. Talent, rhythm, words—this group has it all. Now they just need to find a way to draw people to their little home on the fringe; but if any hookless band can do it, they can. [www.margotandthenuclearsoandsos.com]