Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover

Naming your kid Spencer is a great way to make sure he grows up to be a wimpy indie-rocker. Luckily, Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug has been able to parlay his preciousness into charming, dizzying pop that's as sinewy as it is cerebral. The symphonic glam streak Krug brings to his main band, Wolf Parade, is left to flourish and evolve on Random Spirit Lover, Sunset Rubdown's third full-length, and Krug's tweaked virtuosity is nothing short of giddy: Sporting more burps and squiggles per square inch than your average rumpus room, Lover teems with intricate guitars, icing-sweet synthesizers, and Krug's delicately chiseled harmonies. Lyrics like "Where'd you learn to stage-dive with such grace", crooned with one hand in the cookie jar and the other in outer space, only add to Lover's wondrous luster and nerdy fragility. Mr. and Mrs. Krug, take a bow.