The Dismemberment Plan: Change

Over the course of four albums, The Dismemberment Plan has become one of precious few indie-rock bands to aim for and squarely hit all three of the body's vital music receptors: the heart, the mind, and the oft-overlooked ass. The D.C. band's last album, 1999's Emergency & I, marked a bold step in its evolution, toning down the jagged and jarring moments of its early years in favor of a more contemplative mood. Change, thankfully, isn't much of a change: It's a thoughtful sequel, a closer look at the same terrain, every bit as life-affirming and excellent as its benchmark predecessor. Bands often claim eclectic influences, then sound like an obvious mixture of two or three, but when the members of The Dismemberment Plan claim to love Prince and Fugazi with equal vigor, they can be believed. The group has toured with everyone from Pearl Jam to The Promise Ring to hip-hop experimentalist Dälek, and has found common ground with each. Unencumbered by allegiance to a particular sound or scene, The Dismemberment Plan finds itself free to push the boundaries of the standard rock lineup's abilities. So Change bounces from a reggae-ish bottom to driving, chiming rock in the space of one terrific song ("The Face Of The Earth"), coyly toys with drum-and-bass on another (the Squarepusher/Talking Heads amalgam "The Other Side"), and makes room for a jazzy guitar solo ("Come Home"). The band knows when to play it simple (the Spartan "Automatic") and when to pile it on (the album's only flat-out rocker, "Pay For The Piano"). The key to the equation is the lyrics of singer Travis Morrison, who turns phrases like a philosophy major who loves R&B. Though not apparent at first blush, most of the lyrics on Change reveal a marked sadness: In the album's 50 minutes, love is lost and longed for, threats are made and promises broken, and anger gives way to regret. It takes a deft hand to deal with such subjects, and Morrison's carefully crafted stories are witty and poignant without threatening sappiness. As with the band's music, his words don't just study one side: There are hearts, minds, and bodies listening, and The Dismemberment Plan's Change moves them all.