Broken Spindles

inside/absent

[3] Broken Spindles’ first two albums marked mastermind Joel Peterson as Saddle Creek’s resident weird-electronica geek with surprising orchestral talent. With inside/absent, the Faint/Beep Beep bassist makes concessions to the label’s indie-rock pedigree while retaining his maverick aesthetics. “Inward” begins the disc with one of those atonal solo-piano pieces your nutty uncle used to play to irritate your parents. After this brave (or foolish) start, Broken Spindles go on to craft nuanced, sophisticated pop somewhere between Ben Folds and Spain while also deviating into Gorillaz-style bubblegum bedroomtronica. Recorded and produced entirely by Peterson, inside/absent is Broken Spindles’ most intimate album and a compelling addition to his ambitious catalog. (SADDLE CREEK) Dave Segal