The Most Serene Republic: ...And the Ever Expanding Universe

Artist: The Most Serene Republic
Album: ...And the Ever Expanding Universe
Date Released: July 14, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, alt-rock, post-rock, experimental
Rating: 7.5

Review: The Canadian music scene is alive and well -- it's arguably never been stronger. Now if only the rest of Canada would wake up to this fact. Case in point is The Most Serene Republic -- an outstanding and innovative 7-piece act from Toronto that's largely unknown in its home country. That being said, with ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, TMSR have released their most accessible album to date. There's no longer any excuse for ignoring this band.

The 2009 version of TMSR are a little less post-rock and bit more alt-rock, if not alt-pop. The tracks on ...And the Ever Expanding Universe are tighter and more constrained than before (take the Philip Glass inspired "Patternicity," a track that could have easily gone out of control), but they're no less daring and enjoyable. And as always, the band is high-energy and all about the fun factor (check out "Heavens to Purgatory" for a taste).

An excellent release from a very talented band.