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Written by Jim Dunn Sunday, 30 April 2006 17:44

Lab Partners' fourth LP offers the band at its most accomplished.

What is in the water in Ohio? The state has provided us with some amazing bands over the years, including the Afghan Whigs, Devo, Pretenders, Nine Inch Nails, Guided by Voices, and the saint, Screamin’ J. Hawkins. My guess is it’s some sort of government program gone out of control. The Lab Partners ably joined the ranks in 1998 and over the last seven years have released four albums. Their fourth, Wicked Branches, offers the band at their most accomplished. Starting off with the luxurious “Blood Moon,” the Lab Partneres do what they do best: create a sonic go-kart that summons up the ghost of Love and Rockets while carving a path that is uniquely their own. The songs are stagy while avoiding the pretentious.

However, avoiding pretentious does not equal not long-winded. Someplace in the middle of “It’s How You Feel,” the album seems to be on repeat. “Wicked Branches,” several songs on, grants a reprieve. Clocking in at a svelte (for this LP) less than four minutes, it is a chestnut that encapsulates the finer qualities of this band. If we could wish something for the next Lab Partners album (and we do wish for another), it is perhaps a bit more brevity. As much as the Lab Partners offer a great sound, a little goes a long way.

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