It´s unseemly for a band that´s been around 11 years to produce an album that sounds as inspired and of the moment as this. Recorded in a home studio, Urgency sounds anything but lo-fi, with a maturity and intelligence that suggest where a quirky indie band like the Dismemberment Plan might have eventually progressed. Pealing electric piano, occasionally noisy electric guitars, bare-bones drumming and breathy lead vocals combine as the band tiptoes through the wreckage of failed relationships, unfulfilled expectations and oncoming middle age with a beguiling mixture of wonderment and resignation. With three tracks mixed by Death Cab for Cutie´s Chris Walla, comparisons are inevitable (and justified). Both bands share a taste for subtly swelling dynamics and understated vocals. But whether your preferences run to the postadolescent drama of Bright Eyes or the classic insouciance of the Cure, Urgency should satisfy your cravings for big melodies, smart lyrics and emotional catharsis.