Pitchfork

Words and letters must matter quite a bit to Portland's Luke Wyland, the classically trained pianist behind avant-folk outfit Au, but you wouldn't necessarily know it from his music. The alphabet is locked in win-or-go-home competition in the title of "RR vs. D" (or else I've just got March Madness on the brain), and the track is taken from a forthcoming album called Verbs. "RR vs. D" itself, though, sounds more like a conservatory-ready take on Animal Collective's tribal noise-making, with rapidly played piano, lots of scattered handclaps, and ululating backing vocals. "Get it! 1, 2, 3/ Get it! 1, 2, 3," some female voices repeat, now swapping letters for numbers. A whistle blows, and suddenly a brass band walks in, for a gallumping midsection so circus-ready I half-expect to see peanut shells, smell elephant manure, and laugh at all the sad clowns cramming into a Volkswagen. Then Wyland's rippling piano playing comes back to the fore, and the singers conclude, bending a note like guitarists, "Let us siiiiiiiiiiiing." In a stunning upset, I guess the letter "i" will advance to the championship round.

MP3:> Au: "RR vs. D"
[from the "RR vs. D" 7"; due in May; also from Verbs; due 06/26/08; both on Aagoo]