Lenses Alien

Boasting a sound that’s heavily indebted to slacker pop types such as Pavement and Guided By Voices, Staten Island’s Cymbals Eat Guitars have opted not to alter their song structures too much for their second album Lenses Alien. That’s not a bad thing though, as their debut Why There Are Mountains was a pretty special release and this follow-up is just as much fun. A swirling, almost psychedelic offering, the ten-track opus splices obtuse, intergalactic lyrics with reverb-laden riffs and many of the tunes benefit from the band’s refusal to be tied down to conventional verse/chorus/verse tropes. Sprawling album opener ‘Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)’ is the pick of the bunch and overall Lenses Alien is a rewarding listen.