Books, For Listening

I recently got my grubby digital hands (aka my external HD) on a copy of the upcoming Books album, Lost and Safe, which is due out in April on Tomlab.

First impressions: This one, their 3rd album, is a bit less frantic than previous records. Though there are still plenty of plucked-and-cut strings (nicely contrasted with more legato sounds) and rearranged vocal samples, they seemed to have mellowed somewhat on the frenetic style of Thought For Food and The Lemon of Pink. Lost and Safe also features a stronger vocal presence by the younger half of the duo, Nick Zammuto. This is most often a good thing.

The odd personalities of Paul De Jong and Nick Zammuto are thankfully still evident. The Books love playing with words. For example, they get a big kick out of contradictions (“keeping your eyes gently closed, close your eyes tightly”) and the twisting of words, both in the vocal samples of songs and the song titles (e.g. “A Little Longing Goes Away,” “If Not Now, Whenever”). They're clever, these two. Fortunately, their music exhibits the kind of whimsy that makes me smile rather than roll my eyes.

Listen to “Smells Like Content”

See also:
The Books official site
Tomlab's Books page
a Books interview at Tiny Mixtapes
upcoming tour dates at Pitchfork