Illuminea
Fri., Aug. 17, 9:30 p.m., with The Swimmers and Whales and Cops, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. .
chamber pop
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If Illumina lulled you to sleep with 2004's Nightlight, it's time to wake up and pay attention. Since their dreamy, drony debut, the seven-piece Philly-New York chamber-pop collective gained an upright bass player, lost a cellist and added a syllable to their name. And just as the single extra letter complicates Illuminea's pronunciation, their new album, Out of Our Mouths (High Two), gains strength by stretching a bit. It's prettier and perkier than its predecessor, and with three singers splitting 12 tracks, there's too much going on to snooze. Guitarist Jen Appel has the most compelling voice and the best lyrics. The brooding album opener "In Retrospect" subtly turns Appel's influences — a little country, a little Sleater-Kinney — into something completely different. (And it gives violinist Maura DiBerardinis the first of many well-deserved spotlights.) Guitarist Marc Alan Goodman's songs corner the artiest moments; "I Waited Too Long to Tell You How I Feel" sounds a little like R.E.M. circa Automatic for the People, while "Build Your Own" stages a brawl between Brian Wilson, B.C. Camplight and a psychotic tuba player. Keyboardist Minna Choi grabs the disc's top tune with "Homewrecker," which manages to sound sweet, goofy and totally slick. Wherever it takes you, it won't send you to sleep.
Fri., Aug. 17, 9:30 p.m., $8, with The Swimmers and Whales and Cops, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, www.johnnybrendas.com.
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