[4/5]
It'll probably take you a few songs, but once you listen to "Dirty, Scandalous, Dirty" about 30 times, you'll begin to see the genius-albeit young genius-of Dr. Manhattan (named after a character from the Watchmen graphic novel). Catchy, yet bent into a choplogic shape all its own with farfisa-flavored art-rock and messy jaggedness, this four-piece from Illinois have a symphonic popness that traces lines between the Dear Hunter's orchestral prog and Asleep In The Sea's quirk, but always pokes you in that spot that longs for something authentic. The songs on Dr. Manhattan have a raw cohesion ("Pepper") but don't follow any kind of specific flow ("Baton Rouge"). If Dr. Manhatten can deliver as competent a package as this with their debut, there's no telling what frontiers these young docs will brave over the next few years-but we'll be eager to see. (VAGRANT) Casey Lynch
 Official Website: http://www.vagrant.com
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