The M's

The M's

Future Women (Polyvinyl)

You want buzz? The M's have two types. The fuzzy guitar endemic to the source material of this five-year-old Chicago band: vintage Britpop, psychedelica, garage rock, etc. And an industry hum earning the quartet gigs with Broken Social Scene, Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Wilco. Jonathan Demme asking to shoot your next video doesn't hurt either. The Who's "Happy Jack," Revolver-era John Lennon, and the Flaming Lips' In a Priest Driven Ambulance all waft up within the first few tunes until midway through this sophomore effort when originality manifests itself in "Light I Love," wherein subdued nylon-string guitar joins a chamber string section and harmonica. Fuzzy guitar – sometimes too much – drives these tight 11 tracks. Thankfully, their melodies are reserved and song-serving, with nary a wank in sight. The M's also profit from four composers and three singers, although their trademark three-part harmonies translate better live. Compared to their eponymous EP-compilation debut, Future Women demonstrates more judicious restraint, maturity even. The production's better too, rough edges holding big tube bass, layered guitars, and smashed drums. Six-minute closer "Darling Lucia" is a mini-album itself: six-string saturation meshed with a string section and ending with a quasi-George Martin arrangement. Catch the beehive's worth of buzz. (Wednesday, March 15, 10pm @ Emo's Jr.)