Talk of Marnie Stern tends to gravitate toward the
way she shreds on guitar, but her style is too abstract to measure by mere
musical chops. She plays fast and tight for sure, but she just as often zooms
in on simple figures and reiterates them until strange colors start to spin out
of cycle. It's a neat art-rock trick that plays out all over Stern's second
album, which borrows its long title from Zen philosopher Alan Watts. The
album-opening "Prime" starts off with Stern stringing words together ("frontier…
sense… defenders… dolphins") over naked handclaps that morph into hectic, jerky
riffs meted out with Tourette's-esque intensity. Much the same transpires
elsewhere, but part of Stern's appeal is the way she spits hooks and melodies
from the center of a swirling din. Her songs always at least suggest pop, and
the sense of tune at their core adds an inviting thrill to Stern's fitful
guitar and Zach Hill's ridiculously, miraculously agitated drums.