The Postage Stamps – This Ugly Arrangement (Independent)

The Postage Stamps have been a pillar of the Toronto indie-rock community since migrating to the big smoke from the Oshawa-Whitby scene (along with friends The Mark Inside, Action Makes and Anagram) nearly six years ago. Since then the Stamps’ founding member Keith Hamilton has been a busy man about town, helping form the groundbreaking recording collective Suck My Disc! and booking and promoting something close to 500 shows for his popular long-running music series Pitter Patter Nights.

Ironically titled, This Ugly Arrangement marks the band’s first album since their current membership solidified in late 2004. It paints a picture of a band whose sound is open to experimentation and growth while still being rooted in melody and sensible rhythms. For example, the title track is a slow-burning, electro-tinged post-rock instrumental epic featuring Hamilton’s captivating saw-playing skills. It also currently has my vote for Wicked Drum Part of the Year (the kit sounds like a freaking drum machine, but it’s all Mike Duffield).

Recorded at Montreal’s Hotel 2 Tango studios (this band named Arcade Fire recorded an album called Funeral there a couple of years ago, you might have heard about it) Howard Bilerman and Kevin Komoda do a great job of capturing The Stamps’ unique collection of genre-crossing gems. “Turning Off” twangs country-themed inflections until a sweeping, pop-driven chorus delivers a soaring vocal hook soaked in jazzy saxophone. Listen closely and you’ll hear elements of 90s emo, folk, jazz, indie-rock and post-rock here. The Stamps work hard to make these unlikely combinations gel into a cohesively dark, intelligent, psychedelic trip that could still conceivably be filed under Pop/Rock.

With such a strong collection of songs, it’s difficult to pick favourites, but right now the bittersweet guitar hook from “The Hold,” the worth-the-wait comedown and climax of “Reckless,” and the nocturnal bass riff that opens up “Pacemaker” come quickly to mind as stand-out moments-the kind that make you shiver with profound appreciation.

Rating: VVVV

This Ugly Arrangement is currently available at Soundscapes, Rotate This, and Sonic Boom.