[4/5] Rainer Maria's music has invited plenty of adjectives, but "muscular" hasn't been among them--until now. Tightening down their melodies, boosting their volume controls and all but jettisoning their musical trademark--the fragile call-and-response vocals of bassist Caithlin De Marrais and guitarist Kyle Fischer--the band sound bigger and more self-assured than ever on Catastrophe Keeps Us Together. De Marrais' soaring, tuneful singing commands attention from the first line of "Catastrophe," envelopes listeners on the ballad "Burn" and sounds the garage-rock alarm on "Bottle," with Fischer and drummer William Kuehn giving her ample room to flex as frontwoman. The orchestral opus "Already Lost" is another prime example: Over haunting strings, the singer muses, "The best part of waiting up all night was in the morning, I didn't feel a thing," as her fictional lover walks out. Yes, Rainer Maria may have a well-deserved reputation as book nerds, but you don't need a lit degree to realize the woman's on top this time.
(GRUNION) Melissa Bobbitt
 Official Website: http://www.grunionrecords.com
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