Mission Of Burma

Eight years into one of the most fruitful and productive reunions in indie rock, Mission of Burma's 21st century run now more than doubles the amount of material the Boston act produced first time around. Unsound, their fourth post-reunion album, continues their winning streak. As with the previous three, Clint Conley, Roger Miller, Peter Prescott and Bob Weston reshape a sound established 30 years ago without retreading the past or attempting to modernize their sound. Recorded in the band's rehearsal space, the trio are fast and loose, each instrument playing off of the other two. Short opener "Dust Devil" sounds like an unhinged take on Gang of Four, guitars slicing through the bass and drum lines, while "Fell  H2O" sounds like it could collapse in on itself at any moment. Easily the jammiest record in their canon, where it's lacking in anthems it more than makes up for with hooks, creating an incredible groove that runs throughout the album's 35 minutes. Even when they're at their most uncompromising, Mission of Burma continue to create inspired, groove-laden post-rock that threatens to overshadow the acts they've influenced at every turn.