Moving Mountains

A classic sophomore album, the Casket Lottery's Moving Mountains both tends more toward pop (the shimmering but resolute "A Dead Dear" for example) and subtle touches of experimentation (the stuttered samples on "Rip Van Winkle"), but it is neither as driving as Choose Bronze nor as seamlessly constructed as Survival Is for Cowards. Still, the record has its moments that are nothing less than magical — the sparkling break on "Vista Point," the oddly lulling quality of "A Thousand Oaks (Away from Home)," and the anthemic, loud-soft dynamics of "Optimist Honor Role." Moving Mountains may be less than perfect, but it's still stubbornly stunning — take the crunchy punk-pop and art rock of "Ancient Injury," a song that would surely get Weezer fans on their feet and then confound them about just how to dance to it.