NEW FEELING

Since stripping down to a trio, the arty post-post-punk sound of Toronto’s New Fries has become even more distilled and abstract. Singer Anni Spadafora’s bass playing maintains a hypnotic rhythmic throb, while the guitars that previously clanged have become just another texture in their tapestry. Tasking synth wizard Carl Didur with production has given these songs both grit and bleariness, merely adding to their hazy disorientation. In between the album’s more traditionally structured songs, New Fries include short experimental interludes, each one titled “Genre.” When they finally provide the satisfaction of settling into a groove, like on the propulsive “Ploce” or twitching “Lily,” the band blur the lines between mutant disco and no wave. By continually reimagining their own idea of themselves, New Fries will never go stale.

– Jesse Locke