The Forms

The Forms spent 50 consecutive days in Chicago recording its new self-titled album with Steve Albini, a feat which tested the wills, sanity and pocketbooks of the Brooklyn band. But the result is a record that expands on the melodic post-rock experimentations of the band's daring 2003 debut, Icarus. While still a challenging listen — much of Icarus' odd time-signature looping remains — The Forms showcases the more accessible facets of the band's music, such as tuneful vocal passages, tasteful piano and hypnotic vintage-synth patches. The Forms convincingly channel the early post-hardcore stylings of underground acts from Washington, D.C., and the Midwest (think Jawbox, Shiner and Hum) – but still make a refreshing and relevant musical statement all its own.