Mice Parade Bem-Vinda Vontade

Bem-vinda vontade is Mice Parade's fourth album for FatCat and represents if not a sea change then certainly a form of reconsideration on the part of Adam Pierce and company about how one sets out to relate to the audience. I liked the predecessor to this work, last year's Obrigado saudade, but with certain reservations, some of which became more obvious with further listening. In particular, with all OS's experimental verve and pleasantly leftfield approach, at times as a listener I couldn't help feeling slightly left out, if not perhaps even alienated by more incoherent numbers. Bem-vinda is instead sunnier and more welcoming, not to mention more clearly an album consisting of well-constructed songs.

Bem-vinda vontade translated literally as "Welcome will", as in willpower, or when you do something "voluntarily" (Portuguese has a habit of dropping syllables it considers unnecessary in comparison to Spanish or Latin); the title links into Obrigado saudade, a particularly untranslatable phrase, but which might mean "Thank you nostalgia", to form a suggestive little phrase: "Thank you nostalgia, welcome will". Both titles are significant; rather than the nostalgic, distant wistfulness of last year's work, Bem-vinda is much more open, and while there are complex rhythms and arrangements in abundance, none of this gets in the way of some eminently hummable tunes.

Vocals are also on offer, rare in the career of this largely instrumental outfit. Pierce himself offers some melancholic and reflective verses on a few tracks, and the ethereal spirit of múm's Kristin Anna Valtysdóttir can be heard swirling in the mix on Nights Wave. Other guest musicians include the highly gifted Doug Scharin, founder and drummer of HiM, vocals in Japanese and English from Clammbon's Ikuko Harada on Ground as Cold as Common, alongside guitars from Marc Wolf and Rob Laakso.

As ever the production and mixing feel almost live and strongly organic; parts of the album were recorded with Interpol engineer Peter Kallis at the Tarquin Studios, and the rest in Pierce's home in New York. Throughout there's a keen one-take ethos, with glitches and bumps included, part of a distinctly honest approach to music making. In this Bem-vinda feels close to Obrigado. Whether or not the latest longplayer marks that marvellous review cliché, the change of direction, Pierce's current offering is another strong reason to check out the parade.