Mokoondi

Balancing very gently between post-rock, avant-rock, and acoustic folk, Mice Parade's Mokoondi is magnificent. Adam Pierce, whose name rearranged spells Mice Parade, is the band's head instrumentalist and leads members of the Dylan Group and others through textured and enigmatic terrain. Mokoondi is steeped in African and Eastern influence, as evidenced by the inclusion of rubby guitars and the cheng (a Chinese harp) that create a very earthy sound. Where earlier Mice Parade records found Pierce experimenting more with electronics, Mokoondi is engulfed in the spirit of the East blending elements of acoustic music with little bits of jazzy, Chicago-style post-rock. Even though vibes and Rhodes piano are subtly employed, they never overpower the richness of the other musicians as they sit comfortably in the back, plucking out a dense bass rhythm. The best parts of the record occur when these elements strive to jump forward in the mix, revealing themselves as the strong, basic structures of the songs. Unlike many post-rockers, Mice Parade are quite adept at purely acoustic music where folk influences leak in more often than jazz ones. What results is a soothing mix that doesn't point so far into the future but is extremely comfortable in its own realm. An otherworldly adventure.