Do Make Say Think: You, Youre a History in Rust

Do Make Say Think’s albums are full of glorious anthems to the inexplicable. With You, You’re a History in Rust, the band continues its simultaneous explorations into the worlds of post-rock, jazz, electronica, and studio tomfoolery. There are dark corners and bright splashes; there are textural murmurs and bright melodies. And, after recording five albums over ten years, there are also vocal contributions. “A With Living” — sung by Tony Drekker of the Great Lake Swimmers — begins with five moody minutes and then morphs into a self-imploding sing-along. “A Tender History in Rust” has a light, folky feel with whistles and whispers, while “Herstory of Glory” samples playing children as it simmers and shimmers. Conversely, “Executioner Blues” doesn’t need vocals; its narrative is well-explained by an assemblage of guitars, strings and jazzy drums that ebb and flow before building to a cacophonous crescendo. The lovely “You, You’re Awesome” assumes a rubbery mid-tempo that might well-accompany a highlights sequence from the Robitussin Olympics. Finally, closer “In Mind” begins with an Akron/Family-assisted shuffle before taking the freak-folk banjo and vocal into the tape-hissing red, reminding us that beauty and noise may co-exist. It’s an apt, experimental end to a delightfully abstract listen.