These Days [LP/CD]

After releasing their giddily glitchy laptop pop debut album, Things.Yes, the young Italian duo M+A underwent a fairly drastic sea change. No longer did their music sound like Mouse on Mars dosed with copious amounts of High C or Plone on 45. Instead, they decided to turn off the laptops and get real on their second record, These Days. The duo's sound is now super-slick, shimmery, and not at all processed-sounding. Along with real drums, there are guitars, strings, and vocals on every track, and while Things.Yes was danceable in a jerky way, this album is meant for dancefloors. While quite a few tracks are frivolous fun in a post-"Get Lucky" fashion, all disco balls and swirling dresses, many others come across like a pumped-up Phoenix, from the vocal phrasing to the song structures to the overall feel and sound. When they aren't getting down in a French fashion, they get a little funky, Beck style; "B Song" and "Slow" sound like Odelay outtakes that come complete with pseudo turntable scratches. They even bring the tempo down a couple times for ballads that also sound like quiet storm Phoenix, especially on the super-pretty "Game." The varied moods and tempos make for a well-rounded album that shows without a doubt that M+A are skilled producers with an ear for smoothly ingratiating sounds and a couple of catchy tunes in their back pocket. ~ Tim Sendra