...And the Ever Expanding Universe

Toronto is a city that seems to spawn pop groups unafraid to aim for a grand and distinctive vision, and one such band, the Most Serene Republic, has been raising its sights a bit higher with each successive trip to the recording studio. The group's fourth album, ...AND THE EVER EXPANDING UNIVERSE, feels too modest to be called epochal, but its sweep and ambition are broad enough that no other word feels quite apt. While the band features seven musicians, with help from producer Dave Newfeld, the Most Serene Republic sound like some sort of 21st century chamber orchestra on these sessions, particularly on the extended instrumental "Patternicity," and though they haven't abandoned the usual trappings of contemporary pop (cue up the lovely "Vessels of a Donor Look" for evidence), the rich tonal colors and imaginative vocal arrangements that run through most tracks are the work of a band that's moved past guitar/bass/drums/maybe a keyboard in favor of a more challenging vision.