Apologies in advance for sounding like an NME journo, but one of the things I love about this band is their almost classical approach. Jason Pierce has themes that run through his records, and this is particularly the case with Pure Phase.It is music that is not in a hurry for anything, and the length of some of the tracks really gives him time to explore to explore his music.
Pure Phase is not really music at all - it's simply an electronic noise which is sort of the aural equivalent of watching Blue - can you see the background changing? Are there shapes in there? Is there stuff hidden inside the noise. This track leads into Spread Your Wings, which ends with strings to make your heart soar.
Not everyone's cup of tea, and overall, Ladies and Gentlemen is probably the stronger record. But this is my favourite (possibly because it has the least jazz/orchestral noodling/crashing of the records - he does get a bit self indulgent at times)
Give it a try and see what you think. They are a great band, albeit a criminally underrated one.
