I recall Pitchfork head cheese Ryan Schreiber badmouthing Rainer Maria in his recent review of Tree Records' Post- Marked Stamps compilation. Now, I'm not sure what track he was talking about, but if it's something off their latest LP, Look Now, Look Again, I'd have to say that Mr. Schreiber has a serious ear wax problem to contend with. See, in my opinion, Rainer Maria make some of the greatest music in indie pop today. All the ingredients are in place: spine- tingling male/ female harmonies, smart, concise songwriting, and some lyrical couplets that have the potential to break the jaded veneer of any cooler- than- thou indie rocker. (Take this one from "Broken Radio": "I'm certain if I drive into those trees/ It'll make less of a mess than you've made of me.")

I also challenge anyone to listen to "Lost, Dropped and Cancelled" just once and not have the refrain of "I want to be delivered" stuck in their noggin for days on end. I'll keep coming back to "Lost, Dropped and Cancelled" because it's one of the best songs anyone's released all year, but the fact is that every song on this album has serious mind- stick potential. I've tried to find a weak track on Look Now, Look Again, and it's just not happening; at times, I run into a track that seems slightly inferior to the others, but after it follows me around for a while, I'm forced to alter my opinion. And sure-- occasionally Caithlin De Marrais reaches for notes she can't quite reach, but it only adds to the charm, lending a certain emotional vulnerability to the proceedings.

Look Now, Look Again is, in comparison to the band's previous efforts, almost catatonically mellow. The vocals rarely rise above a a hum, and more often than not, the guitars chime prettily rather than buzzing angrily. But they've by no means gone soft-- when they do step on the gas, as in the raging chorus of "Feeling Neglected" or on the all- out rocker "Breakfast of Champions," the effect is that much more dramatic.

And pretty songs just don't come much prettier than the ones on this album. I mean, it's conceivable that Ida and possibly Death Cab for Cutie could write a song as downright beautiful, catchy and generally perfect as "Lost, Dropped and Cancelled," but I urge you to name another indie pop band that could give these guys a run for their money in that department.

See, these songs are not only incredibly beautiful, but they also hit emotional nerves that few songwriters out there can even come close to. It's not that Rainer Maria's lyrics are particularly literate or clever, it's that they have a knack for pinning down certain emotional moments that we've all experienced. Remember when you sat in the car with your ex and talked about why things went sour? Dig ye the sound of "Broken Radio." And how about the first line of that aforementioned chunk of greatest, "Lost, Dropped and Cancelled:" "Expect me like one waits for mail." Fucking brilliant! Those are seven words manage to pack more connotations and implications than most whole songs could ever hope to.

In short, if you are a fan of this style of music coveniently pigeonholed as "indie pop," than you sure as shit owe it to yourself to pick up this album pronto, no matter what Mr. Editor might say to the contrary.

-Jeremy Schneyer