...And the Ever Expanding Universe

iTunes Review

…And the Ever Expanding Universe is the third release by this intriguing Toronto-based band. The seven talented members have the collective chops to make a big, complex sound, which they definitely do here, but they also show some relative restraint. This combination of grandiose arrangements (the instrumental “Patternicity,” “Four Humours,” “No One Likes a Nihilist”) and more straight-ahead fare (“Bubble Reputation,” “Heavens to Purgatory,” “Don’t Hold Back, Feel a Little Longer”) help make this release ambitious, experimental, and accessible — a tough trick indeed. There’s a lot going on here, from split-second tempo changes to multi-part vocal harmonies, but the songs are dynamic and varied enough to work. Brass, woodwinds, strings, guitars, complex drumming, piano, synthesizers, even some banjo, are all mixed in to good effect. Not inconsequentially, the album was produced by Dave Newfeld, who has worked with many artists associated with Broken Social Scene, a band that the Most Serene Republic shares a label with as well as an aesthetic.