The Autumn Kaleidoscope Got Changed

Whether it's defining their musical genre or deciding what to name themselves, Black Moth Super Rainbow is a band that is hard to pin down. The mysterious group from Western Pennsylvania is best known for their synth-y, psychedelic sound and obscured vocals on albums such as Dandelion Gum and Eating Us. However, fans of their recent releases will be confronted with something different when listening to The Autumn Kaleidoscope Got Changed.

Autumn is a re-released album of older songs that eventually got used for BMSR's first record (songs such as "Colorful Nickels" and "Boatfriend") but also contains unreleased material from the early days of the band's current incarnation. Fans of their earlier work will find a similar sound in songs like "Appleworm" -- a haunting, echoic, and earthy tone caused by acoustic elements rather than electronics. Vocalist Tobacco's breathy tube-singing creates an oddly serene atmosphere that gives the album more of an organic feel than the band's current vocoder-heavy releases.

The best thing about this album is that it could appeal to audiences outside BMSR's normal fan base. Acoustic songs such as "Sad Branch" and "String Tulips" have a softer sound that could be appreciated by fans of groups such as Boards of Canada, UNKLE, or Neil Young. While it is a break from their typical fare, The Autumn Kaleidoscope Got Changed is a relaxing, simple album that deserves at least one peaceful listen.

• Album title: The Autumn Kaleidoscope Got Changed (2009)
• Artist: Black Moth Super Rainbow
• Label: Rad Cult
• Songs: (1) Colorful Nickels, (2) Appleworm, (3) Birdsnestmakesapattern, (4) Sad Branch, (5) Oat, (6) Boatfriend, (7) String Tulips, (8) Shed, (9) Applewormappleworm, (10) Theautumnkaleidoscopehasships, (11) Yourteethandface (Marchingalong), (12) Ithinkitisbeautifulthatyouare256colors, (13) The Appleworm, (14) 3, (15) Runthroughoraroundthepark, (16) Appleworms, (17) Leafhead, Sing to Us