Existential musings from punk to folk

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
"The Brutalist Bricks"
4 stars

Ted Leo has made a career out of being the happy medium between a hapless romantic and a hyper-energetic punk. On "The Brutalist Bricks," more than ever, the existential musings of his lyrics are matched by the muscular, fast-paced instrumentation of his band.

From the start, "The Mighty Sparrow" kicks into Leo's characteristic nasal yelp accompanied by instruments that sound like they're racing in a track meet. Yet on the second track, "Mourning In America," there seems to be a disconnect between Leo and his Pharmacists. The song starts out with racing drums and a guitar being slashed ferociously, and when the vocals come in, everything else cuts out. We are left with a thumping house bass that gives way to Leo awkwardly whispering about the messed up state of America. And then we shift back to the song's frantic chugging.

This split personality persists, but thankfully not always in the same song. Though his attempt at diversity fails on "One Polaroid a Day," a jazz fusion slam dance song, Leo recovers with "The Stick" and "Where Was My Brain?," some of his best, most thunderous "punk" songs yet. They cut through the album with their wailing basses, one-two drum lines and roaring three-chord guitars.

Conversely, "Tuberculoids Arrive In Hop" is a passionate folk song complete with a congregation of crickets straight from the bayou and a quietly maniacal acoustic guitar. Leo is whispering again, but now he's so quiet you're straining to hear him, and the experience is nearly spiritual. Only an artist like Leo can provide this amount of variance with shocking coherence.