Wombo Fairy Rust

Rather than taking an ethereal bent, Wombo took inspiration from classic folktales to base many of their peculiar observations on their third album. The Louisville, Kentucky trio's musical language has an unearthly magnetism that pulls you in, inverting the conventions of post-punk as far as possible. Led by singer/bassist Sydney Chadwick's deadpan vocals, the band usually takes rhythmic detours that are sometimes jazzy, sometimes noisy, but always groovy. Their skilled musicianship is unmistakable—Joel Taylor's round-the-kit drumming and guitarist Cameron Lowe's offbeat tuning rounding the rest of the trio—which might explain why tracks like Backflip and Below the House sound incredibly tight even at their most irregular. The trio's infectious brew does occasionally veer into pop-minded songcraft, especially on Headstand, which sounds like a narcoleptic interpretation of Stereolab. Indifference is simply not an option while listening to Fairy Rust, even if their intent at times seems detached.