PigeonsSecretly Canadian  *  *  *

Luke Temple has learned that there's safety in numbers. After a couple of solo albums and EPs, the US singer-songwriter finally found a modicum of acclaim when he recruited a band. While last year's self-released debut was still a Temple solo job, Pigeonsputs all hands on the recording deck. The fundamentals are sound (twinkling, sparkling, trippy pop tunes that hang somewhat to the left), but it's telling how the occasionally off-kilter attributes of the previous outing have been tidied up and realigned. Naturally, this makes Pigeonsa more straightforward proposition than its predecessor. Although Here We Go Magic can still turn their hands to weird, it's the more mannered songs ( Hibernation, the melodic shiver of Bottom Feeder, the cool, pulsating drama of Collector) that hit the spot. See myspace.com/here wegomagic

Download tracks: Collector, Hibernation