Night Moves

The world can always use one more weirdo pop artist, even if her weirdness occasionally dissolves into ironic postmodern hipsterism (or did you think the Bob Seger reference was accidental?). Like most attitudes, ironic postmodern hipsterism goes down easily if it's couched in hooks, and while Papineau is way too grad-school to offer them without strings, she does offer hooks on this thoroughly pleasing collection of pop-smart avant-gardism. She'll catch your attention first with the grindingly, abrasively funky "Shucking, Jiving" (get it? get it?), a song to which you'll probably be glad you can't understand the lyrics. "Power and Glory" comes in two parts; the first is dry and mannered, more stylish than interesting, but the second is quite powerful — pretty and introspective, with astringent vocal arrangements and a crispy electro-percussion track. The appropriately titled "LP Beat" is built on a similarly (but pleasantly) dated computer rhythm, and following a bizarre introduction it turns out to be sweetly and simply melodic, almost like a hymn. "What Are We Waiting For?" never really takes off, and "Saxophone Calypso" is pleasant without being especially interesting, but there's plenty of fodder for late-night discussions scattered throughout the album's remaining tracks. Recommended.