Momentum

Momentum, Transcargo's second album, is a far superior follow-up to 2004's anodyne Idle Luxury. The hard sheen of the debut's too-pristine surfaces is replaced here with a warmer and more inviting mix that brings singer and keyboardist Emily Phillips' alluring vocals front and center. At the same time, the electronics are tempered with more live bass, drums, and guitar, giving songs like the swirling "Badge" and the aptly titled forward thrust of the title track an intimate, spacious sound that suits them well. The core trio of Phillips, multi-instrumentalist Anthony Whiting, and drummer Guillaume Jambel have as many as half a dozen other musicians helping out per song, giving the album a varied sound that ranges from the shoegazer shimmer of the outstanding "Salt" through the whisper-quiet acoustic guitar and string samples that underpin "Don't You" to the lovely, jazz-inflected pop of the Saint Etienne-like closing track "Hold On." An inventively arranged album featuring substantial melodies and clever hooks, Momentum is a pure pop delight masquerading as a chilly electronic mood piece. ~ Stewart Mason|