Maus Haus: Lark Marvels

Maus Haus
Lark Marvels
Pretty Blue Presents
2008-10-29

It comes as no surprise that San Francisco sextet Maus Haus is receiving the full support of the blogosphere. There is a lot to be said for music that manages to be as weird as this is yet equally as catchy. A unique hybrid pulsing with indie, Krautrock, classic pop, and electronica, their debut full-length Lark Marvels hits the slightly less ominous spot between Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bruce Haack, Broadcast, and the United States Of America. The lyrics are soaked in absurdist humor and visceral imagery, while the instrumentals run through influences like a remote control wielding, ADD addled child blows past TV channels.

For those who sometimes feel like a nut and sometimes don’t, at the exact same time, Maus Haus will scratch all of your itches. It is one thing to collect influences like Cub Scout badges, and another to display those forces without crumbling into an aimless, cluttered mess. Lark Marvels maintains a delicate balance of nostalgic hodgepodge (without being as obvious as The Choral’s Magic and Medicine) and focused artistic vision. It’s a trip that grants you the room to go crazy without feeling to need shove you over the edge.

RATING 7 / 10