From the dazzling liquid guitar loops of "Mercurial Girl" to the analog synth telegram embedded in "What Planet Are We On?", the restless Canadian lads of Five Star Fall are known for tricking out their sparkling pop with lots of satisfying sonic detail. Along with Michael Shotton of Von Groove on drums, Tom Lewis and Gordon Deppe (of 80's innovators The Spoons) layer and lather up the sound with old effects pedals, Kraftwerk-era drum machines, and hall-of-mirrors self-samples that work perfectly with their upbeat sense of retro-space age wonder.

This mixed hi-fi/lo-fi approach works particularly well on Automatic Ordinary, which finds the band experimenting with its collection of effects and toys more than ever before—a preoccupation that makes this album a treat for the headphone inclined (there's even a song called "Headphones"). Deppe has a string of hits behind him—Nova Heart, Romantic Traffic, and Arias & Symphonies—yet his voice is as fresh and buoyant as ever on Automatic Ordinary, as is his kaleidoscope guitar work. Lewis is the former music director and bassist for Fefe Dobson and Amanda Marshall, and his industry know-how and professionalism really shine through on this album; the tracks are tight, polished, and impeccably arranged. Not to mention, Lewis somehow manages coaxes synth-like groans from an old Fender bass while Shotton delivers fast, intricate rhythms in the way that only a drummer with real heavy metal experience can. Melodic and meteoric , the well-crafted songs of Five Star Fall seem always to be rocketing forward toward some better tomorrow. Catch them if you can.

Automatic Ordinary