Scrappy Boston indie heroes prove themselves cultworthy

On Distant Fist, Krill‰’s clever garage pop has made a giant leap into a bigger sound and a more ambitious songwriting style. Ian Becker‰’s exuberant, huge-sounding drums and Jonah Furman‰’s powerful bass lines slip through time signatures and dynamic levels with utmost grace, while key ingredient Aaron Ratoff‰’s jagged, spidery guitar work finds the most inspired hooks hidden among the chord changes. Furman‰’s voice gives the impression of an unhinged cartoon character whose goofiness is often interrupted by brief, spasmodic rages. His lyrics are a perfect balance of hilarious and heartbreaking, jumping from image to image in a free-associative exploration of humanity. They are at their best on magnum opus “Tiger.‰” As the song lopes along like the tropical beast, Furman weaves metaphoric tales like a seer, until he drops the act for a crushing realization ‰ÛÒ “you never call me‰” ‰ÛÒ as the band enters a rush of noise that will leave even the veteran EIS fan breathless. “Tiger‰” is surrounded by hooky indie rock mini-epics, each one as strong as the last, from deranged introduction “Phantom,‰” to the slow burn of “It Ends.‰” The recommended tracks below should be taken lightly; any song on this album has the potential to become your new anthem.

RIYL: Pixies, Speedy Ortiz, Built to Spill

Recommended: 4, 5, 6, 9