Fridge

Judging by what Fridge has accomplished so far in its career, the band members should be in their late 30s and have had their second reunion tour by now. Luckily, they're still in their mid-20s and Happiness, their 12th release (seven singles, four albums and one compilation), is their most significant effort to date. Each song here is named after the instruments used, like the jazzy "Melodica and Trombone," for instance. The songs on Happiness flutter around from one point to another, issuing natural imagery with some unique sounds. The most beautiful of all is "Cut Up Piano and Xylophone," which nears moments that are almost too wonderful to hear. Imagine Brian Eno composing a soundtrack to accompany a film on the hummingbird and you may grasp an idea of its beauty. What's most striking about Fridge is how they work together as a band. Bands like Radiohead struggle to create music like this, which is quite amusing because for these three 20-somethings it seems ridiculously easy. Combining the workmanship of a collective like Tortoise ("Drum Bass and Sonics Edit") and the gadgetry genius of Aphex Twin ("Samples and Clicks"), Fridge lies around no real boundary of music, except the one they made for themselves. It's not post-rock, it's not IDM or electronic, it's Fridge. Plain and simple is out the window, this is extraordinary and complex.