Polite Sleeper is a folk mess and Lake Effect is nine delicate moments put to tape. Following 2008 s critically acclaimed Seens LP the latest is less a stopgap and more a proper introduction for the Brooklyn trio after spending much of last year abroad. Gone are the banjo and pedal steel interludes, the erratic arrangements; gone are the sad sack lullabies and two minute strummers. Enter Mellotron drones, three part harmonies and at the core a rhythm section that still drives each narrative with a confidence to say that less is truly more. Somewhere Britt Daniel of Spoon just nodded. Recorded over five days at Seaside Lounge during a snow storm, the trio tapped an old friend in Aaron Prellwitz (Death Cab for Cutie, John Vanderslice, Mountain Goats, Mark Kozelek, Erase Errata) to help polish the edges of this once lo-fi conceit. What s left is little regard for convention. Couched in a place where the bombastic folk of Bowie or early T. Rex gets smart, the nine tracks on Lake Effect are equal parts unique and obtuse, poetically indifferent and as plain as the Midwestern roots of the members themselves. Formed in early 2007, the then duo of Jason and Tim quietly released a five-song EP that at first blush sounded like John Darnielle fronting a drunken Bright Eyes. While not quite a cabin-in-Wisconsin success, the self-recorded EP nevertheless chronicled serious heartbreak, addiction, and a sudden move from San Francisco months before. Yet despite few expectations, the new trio with Michael s input found a surprising balance (and noted buzz) between their DIY/punk pasts and the intimacy of the new aesthetic. Multiple tours followed, supporting the likes of Parenthetical Girls, WAVVES, White Rabbits, PWRFL Power, Karl Blau, Ghost Mice and Old Time Relijun that solidified a chameleon-like reputation as both an unhinged live band and three troubadours hauling a stage piano and homemade trap kit around the world. White vinyl. Insert. EX/EX