Staggering Statistics
I'm Thinking About Changing

On their fourth and finest release, the Cincinnati-based Staggering Statistics turn anxiety and regret into something that sounds like a classic. With second guitarist Sam Womelsdorf now fully integrated, there's a richness to the musical interplay that at times recalls Television's "Marquee Moon," Pavement's "Slanted And Enchanted," and even the Stones' "Some Girls." "Learned Quarry" rides in on a nervy tangle of Austin Brown's raked guitar strings and John Curley's caroming bass while Womelsdorf mimes the lazy bend of a train whistle over Joe Klug's lockstep beat. Then, the vocals arrive, Brown's bratty, twangful talk-sing-yelp advising, "the learned quarry steps around." The album sparks with friction, but it's often the tender, poptacular moments that catch the ear: the handclaps on "Dog And Pony Show," Curley's melodic runs on "Crossword Puzzle," and the harmonized chorus of the Stonesy "Winter Mind," asking, "who will you miss the most?"

-Robert Cherry/Big Takeover

Right-click (Win) or Cntrl-click (Mac) the songs below to download the MP3 version of each song.

1. Learned Quarry 3:30
2. Crossword Puzzle 2:49
3. Not For Me 4:04
4. Sharecropper's Hands 3:12
5. Blue Skies and Sunshine 2:19
6. Winter Mind 3:14
7. Dog and Pony Show 2:47
8. Turnstile 2:43
9. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 3:03
10. Bonafide 4:30
11. Queen Bee 4:36
    
    full size artwork 376K jpeg