By: Alex Hegazy

DC calling. But not just any average DC citizen, no. You know something is up with this band when you find out they are on their third front person. And the front person in question, Breck Brunsen is a visual artist who has just made his first album with these side-stepping Apes. Creatively this band share ideals with The Liars, testament to this is the fact they opened for The Liars on their 2006 tour. Vocally Brunsen is reminiscent of TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, and in a genre defiant kind of way imbue some of the genetically mutated heart of Les Georges Leningrad. But more than anything here are stomping rock bass licks supplied by Erick Jackson and some fruity organ bit*s* 'n' pieces brought to you courtesy of Amanda Kleinman.

If you are looking for something to do karaoke to then this isn’t it. If you are looking for an album that reveals itself in a different way each time you listen then your search is over – the Apes are like a continuous collection of creative fibers that unravel and twist round each other. Take album opener Practice Hiding that contains aural surprises: starting with strange psych tinges, moving into the head banger hills, breaking the flow with the sound of a child having just discovered the organ for the first time. Then towards the end of the track all three elements start to leak into one another. Interesting, entertaining and original? Yes, yes and yes.

What of the rest of the album? There’s Beat Of The Double, full of squidgy organ sounds and hand claps. Walk Thru Walls, the song that’s most likely gonna have you dancing round your bedroom to lyrics about phoning secret police and telekinesis. Then there’s the bubblingly weird chipmunk opening of Which Witch Wutz and the rock opera of Dr. Watcher. But it’s not all whacked out craziness, there are a few songs that take a sombre tone with the almost vocaless Fade Out and drifting album closer First Light. But seriously, The Apes present to you more games to keep your ears excited. Press play.

MP3: Apes