Malajube’s [Myspace] third full-length record, Labyrinthes, scatters pop hooks over prog tendencies, pulling off a trippy yet inoffensive album that delivers on nearly every track. Dismiss your xenoglossophobia, Labyrinthes is an incredibly enjoyable record, even if you don’t know just what it is they’re singing about.

Malajube let the reigns out for the opener, “Ursuline”. It is the album’s thesis, a four movement mini-opera spanning the pop, rock, and dance elements that follow throughout the rest of the record. Acknowledging your body of work outright is a slippery slope, but when executed well, it makes for a fun ride. “Luna” remembers the best Beatles and Kinks singles, trudging over percussive keys and three part harmonies. “Le tout-puissant” is the album’s best track, recalling The Dismemberment Plan’s later work, and the very current, very awesome What Made Milwaukee Famous.

And so, by the end of Labyrinthes, the band lets loose again for the dark, chant-laden “Christobald”. One minute in, the song slows down and contemplates the record before it. Vocals are drowned by the swirling guitars and keyboards, and for the first time in 10 tracks, the music sounds desperate as the melody unravels. The slow burn suits an album filled with spark, and Malajube’s abandonment of theatrical climax is a modest move, considering the tracks leading up to it. Still, the only disappointment in the end is that it is just that: the end.

[mp3] Malajube – “Porte Disparu”

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