Fans might want to change their music tags for Margot & The Nuclear So and So's. Though previous albums would have been filed under delicate indie pop, Margot introduces a harder, more rocking sound on their newest record, Buzzard.
The sonic shift is likely due to the band's recent lineup changes. On Buzzard, the band has scaled back from eight members to six, adding a new drummer, keyboardist and guitarist while eliminating their cellist and trumpet players. The alterations essentially rid the band of the instrumental components that gave them their "chamber pop" sound and ushered in a more traditional indie rock vibe.
And rock they do. The bulk of the album is a careening pastiche of sounds ranging from the grungy, early '90s alt rock feel of "Let's Paint Our Teeth Green," to the wandering Built to Spill-style riffage in "Claws Off." And on "My Baby (Cares For The Animals)," the band takes on an early Radiohead resonance, with lead singer Richard Edward's reaching and attaining the same Yorke-high notes.
However, it's the quiet numbers that stand out most.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 6, 2010.