Chicago's Eleventh Dream Day have been cranking out catchy guitar pop for almost two decades, maintaining a solid base of fans and even flirting with the mainstream-- they recorded three albums for Atlantic. Zeroes and Ones is their fourth release for Thrill Jockey, and first since 2000's Stalled Parade. Frankly, their sound hasn't changed much since that album, which saw them working within a broader sonic spectrum than on previous efforts. Here, they continue to focus on mood and texture, whether they're playing straightforward, upbeat rockers or slower, drawn-out numbers full of sprawling guitar work and dry, dusty rhythms. Unfortunately, these tracks don't have the charm of their more traditional jangle-rock, and at times the disc suffers for it.
Eleventh Dream Day start strong with "Dissolution", a mid-tempo pop song with a bouncy bass line, co-ed vocal harmonies, and driving chorus-- a formula that works throughout most of the first half of the album. The band changes gears with the sprawling, eight-minute "New Rules", which slowly builds throughout its first half, and then spends the second half as a showcase for front man Rick Rizzo's squealing guitar work.
Sadly, the second half of the album is a hit-or-miss venture. While several songs sparkle (especially "The Lure", where Janet Beveridge Bean takes on the lead vocals), the slower tracks are simply too faceless. "Return of Long Shadow" is a sort of moody barroom song that never seems to take off, and the album-closing "Journey With No Maps" features nice string work and pedal steel, but is nevertheless forgettable. Even with these missteps, Zeroes and Ones won't disappoint those who've been patiently waiting six years for the next chapter in the Eleventh Dream Day saga-- but it won't win them many converts.
