MATTHEW DEAR
HEADCAGE EP

Matthew Dear's long and exasperating career in dance, techno, avant-pop and everything in between is enough to keep one occupied for days on end. But his lengthy discography has never inhibited one from jumping into the fray mid-cycle, and his latest, Headcage EP is no exception. Although it's a bit more Talking Heads than his 2011 LP Black City, and definitely sprightlier, it hints at where his next series of preoccupations might be headed.

Headcage is much more singer/songwriter than bedroom techno-noodler, and it works-- even the beatless "Street Song" is captivating in its ambient wash. Matthew Dear is significantly more laid back than ever before, but still seems to pack that one moment where the attention might slip with a notable hook. It's that self-awareness that only a transformation like Dear's-- from bedroom beatsmith to bandleader-- can produce and sustain.