Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence - Enon (Tough and Go)
by Andrew Earles
As a member of 1990s indie band Brainiac, Enon's John Schmersal was aggressively blasting out Devo-inspired post-punk a decade before there was a factory manufacturing nine such bands per hour. So, rounded out by fellow grads of the '90s indie netherworld -- Rick Lee of Skeleton Key and Toko Yasuda of Blonde Redhead -- it's no surprise that Enon sounds so schizophrenic without making too big a deal of their diverse tastes. In fact, this Brooklyn band delves so intensely and effectively into all things experimental pop as to be effortlessly chameleonic.
Given the overactive songwriting imaginations within this band, Lost Marbles, an odds-and-ends collection, is tighter than any of the band's proper albums. The collection spans six years but is heavy on the past three, where the band's direction tended toward Euro-savvy, electronically inclined pop -- alternately sultry, chilly, dance-y, and infectious numbers that occasionally look backward to execute the elusive trick of moving forward.
Grade: A-
Enon performs at the Hi-Tone Café Monday, March 21st, with Swearing at Motorists, the Color Cast, and the Circuit Benders.
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