"Jesus Is a Good Name to Moan" features squealing guitarfeedback and demonstrations of its title, and "Deep Breathing" proves a more honest acoustic track.
That album exploded with fierce, squalling guitarfeedback, while Merritt's vocals came off like menacing growls as, once again, he sang lyrics that were frequently at ironic odds with the music.
On tour behind "In Guards We Trust, " one of the year's best albums, the New York group Guards muscled up, its live music less textured but no less appealing as a synth growled in the midrange along with washes of guitarfeedback.