How to describe this amazing band/album?? Maybe psychedelic indie-rock, with some tantalizing early 1990's shoegaze inflections... male and female vocals with surprisingly nimble harmonies... some unexpected raga-like guitar breaks here and there. Overall this band combines many disparate elements, but makes them all WORK through strong, sometimes heart-wrenching songs. No song on here is less than great, but my favorites would have to be "In A Conference" and "Night Train" (which has a coda that is beautiful beyond belief). Listening to this album will give you a much better idea of how masterful it is, rather than reading me trying to describe it. Overall, 2009 has seen many great releases - for me, "Necktie Troublespot" is probably at the very top. This band is amazing. I just can't say enough about it, so I'll stop now. Thank you Shark Bubbles! More, please...

This is not my first try at writing this review; over the few weeks since I stumbled on this album I've thrown away half-written reviews at least a dozen times. It's not for a lack of elements to discuss -- I could talk a bout the fantastic harmonies and even more fantastic almost-harmonies in the vocals, about the wide stylistic range and the perfect transitions between and within styles, the unstuck-in-time feel (one moment it feels retro, the next moment it feels absolutely modern, the next like the future of some alternate past -- except not, because all three moments are happening simultaneously as often as not). I could talk about the emotionality or the technical skill or the deliciousness of the recursing jams or the psychedelic raga moments. I love all of the above and more, but they're really not what I love about the album; what I love about the album is some holistic, emergent property of their combination, and in and of itself it proves peskily difficult to nail down in words. So I guess I'll have to use numbers -- while I generally hesitate to give perfect ratings in anything, this 10 is earned in full. :EDIT: Oh, and didn't even mention the awesome cover art -- nothing is missing here.

Eines der besten Alben, die ich hier auf jamendo je gehört habe! Meine Anspieltipps: "Maquis de Battlestar" "Summer" "Heaven's Gate" Danke!

waw, je suis impressionné, c'est excellent , et pourtant je n'aime pas la pop!! Tres bien écrit, bien joué, bien enregistré , bien arrangé, original . J'aime ce don exceptionnel d'equilibriste entre le Mélancolique intimiste , le Fun et l’Énervé. BRAVO !!!!! Quelque part entre du Beatles, du Velvet, du Beach Boys, du Can , du Doors, du Air, du Beck , du Jimmy Tenor ... que du bonheur !!