Beaches & Canyons

On its third album, Rhode Island noisecore outfit Black Dice refine their previous eardrum-shredding approach. While not exactly pretty or placid, the six lengthy tracks on BEACHES AND CANYONS show much greater restraint and a newfound sense of subtlety and dynamics. The familiar buzzes and howls are still present, especially on the uncompromising 17-minute closer, "Big Drop," but they alternate with passages of unusual delicacy featuring unexpected elements like woodwinds and 1980s-vintage synthesizer stabs. Highlights include "Things Will Never Be The Same" and "The Dream Is Going Down," which at times recall the expansive soundscapes of Canadian experimentalists Godspeed You! Black Emperor.