Landlady – Upright Behavior

Given that Landlady’s Adam Schatz’ other collaborations include Philadelphia chamber-pop outfit Man Man, fidgety Brooklyn jazz heads Father Figures and Vampire Weekend, it’s little surprise that the New York-based musician finds himself similarly restless when left to his own devices on Upright Behavior’s smart aleck pop. Schatz spent three years surrounding himself with a five-piece line-up drawn from some of America’s more critically-feted cult concerns, including Sinkane live guitarist Mikey Freedom Hart and Ian Chang, touring drummer for Matthew Dear and Son Lux; their addition to his already hyper-fertile mind nearly tips the scales here into the overwhelming.

However, with an oddly reassuring vocal reminiscent of Randy Newman’s, Schatz guides us through the likes of Dying Day’s discordant staccato pop, the title track’s string-laden swells, and Maria’s blustering afro-beat with aplomb. This isn’t entirely a party though, with themes of mortality and isolation explored throughout, finishing up with X-Ray Machine, a fittingly bombastic track to bring home a satisfyingly maximalist record. [Simon Jay Catling]