Localized Music: The Race, Exiles

If Exiles, the fifth album from Chicago quartet The Race, begins on an off note, it’s because of a clashing of moods. For the first few songs, Exiles finds the middle point between T.Rex’s striptease-ready drum beats and the darkness of early Depeche Mode; they sound like an ill-advised Jock Jams compilation for goths. Fortunately, one of those songs, "The Bear," ditches the menacing moods for more engaging instrumental passages, and Exiles begins to show its true colors. But by then, it might be too late.

Exiles is at its most inspired when The Race ditch song structures in favor of letting electro textures breathe and build. The extended passages found in the transcendent title track combine the earlier electronics with the sonic swath of fuzzy, echo-laden guitars. It's when the band opts for more straightforward dance tracks like "Venom" that the derivative songwriting becomes apparent—the minor-key, sing-song melodies just aren't as interesting as the click-and-clack that's going on in the background. And as the fading soundscapes of closing track "Goners" make clear, The Race are a band that does swelling sonic coloring well. Why they chose to dampen those hues with overwhelming shades of New Wave gray is a question listeners will be left wondering. Grade: C+

Exiles will be released Tuesday, Sept. 8; the band plays the Empty Bottle tonight.