Even on this, their third album, The Books sound like they've got secrets to tell. But the most solid clues they offer on Lost and Safe are fragments of dreams, stream-of-consciousness queries and allusions to spiritual questing.

An intricate mix of serene vocals, spoken word samples, understated clattering percussion, guitar and cello, the New York City and North Adams, Mass.-based duo's music is enchanting and hypnotic. "A Little Longing Goes Away" opens the record with soft vocals swathed in reverse reverb, making lines like "our minds are empty / like we're too young to know to smile" sound like prayer.

All musical elements are expertly but gently balanced like a series of birds on a wire. Although not overtly apparent, the band's lyrics, in addition to being spiritually inquisitive, can be quite funny. This is most apparent during the act's current live show, during which video accompaniment emphasizes the graduate school-level word play that characterizes songs like "Smells Like Content" and "An Animated Description of Mr. Maps." It is also another element, like the use of cello and banjo, that sets The Books off on their own: the closest analog may be the so-called "free folk" of Animal Collective, although the bands aren't formally similar.

No matter the context or what you call it, The Books are in relatively uncharted territory with bountiful potential in every direction. Although Lost and Safe would be a crowning achievement for any band, The Books show no sign of running out of beautiful musical ideas to convey.

Jay Breitling
May 10, 2005