Imagine what it would sound like if, on his most optimistic day, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard fronted Editors; that's the vibe for about half of the tracks, which utilize huge walls of sound and guy-next-door vocal deliveries. Other songs sound like what might happen if the Pixies wrote music with Shout Out Louds--tunes that buzz with feisty, experimental, post-punk assaults augmented by perky keyboard and tambourine melodies. The remaining selections on "Elephant Shell" move along with a combination of reflective indie pop and high-speed clap-and-chant-along dance eagerness.

Singer/bassist Dave Monks' vulnerable, abstract lyrics are not always easy to catch on to the first go around, but are worth the added effort--if only for a good head scratch. On "Tessellate," he sings: "we're running barefoot/you and I/dead lovers salivate/broken hearts tessellate tonight." The words are literary-minded, for sure, but the music is so peppy and light that the beats alone could carry themselves, even if nothing profound was being said.

Most tracks have something distinct and special: the lashing drumstick rhythms of "Your English Is Good," the mod poetic pep of "Centennial," or the '80s robot keyboards of "Graves." However, most exceptional is "Juno," a fast and powerful mix of stripped down vocals with a beautiful, rollercoaster-like balance of flowing atmospheres and choppy, insistent drums.

The brilliance of "Elephant Shell" lies primarily with its lyrical wit and musical spunk. However, the best thing about the album might actually be its need for fun and zest for the human experience. The songs all range in between two and three minutes, making for snappy, confident musical attacks that stay breezy and inspirational without getting tedious and overdone.