Newfound Interest in Connecticut

It’s been a long time since this band named themselves after a Get Up Kids song. The growth in their sound is apparent in their outdated moniker, as they have graduated from the halls of high school emo into far more interesting sonic waters. With this record — the band’s swan song — NICT demonstrate all of the facets that made their break-up a sad loss for Toronto’s independent music community. On the record’s ambitious opening track, "The Computers Stopped Exchanging Information,” the spirit of adventurous instrumental rockers Explosions in the Sky is summoned in full force, as an aggressive sonic assault is heaped on the listener. Once vocals enter the mix by the second song, more accurate comparisons become apparent, from the jagged, inventive sound of Braid to the lingering, noise-filled soundscapes of recent Wilco material.