Cosmos

Brooklyn indie troupe Yellow Ostrich flew under the mainstream radar with their last two albums (perhaps appropriate, considering the band's flightless namesake), but that's likely to change with their ambitious third studio effort, Cosmos. Inspired by thinkers such as Carl Sagan and astrophysicist Frank Drake, the record is as luminous as a meteor shower, its songs featuring momentous crescendos, densely layered guitars, and radiant atmospherics. It calls to mind both modern experimental alternative acts (The Antlers, Radiohead) and '70s prog-rockers (Rush, Neu!). The snaking guitars and monotonic vocals of "Shades" turn left at the song's ethereal, piano-led bridge, leading to an epic build, while the subdued electronic textures of "My Moons" provide a welcome respite from the commotion. "Neon Fists" twists and turns amid roiling percussion, whereas the album closer, "Don't Be Afraid," is a plaintive lullaby, slowly dipping over the horizon like a setting sun.