[3/5] If the arena-rock swagger of Criteria's When We Break met the Good Life's electronica-tinged Black Out, you'd probably end up with something pretty close to Luxury, the second full-length from Durham, North Carolina's the Nein. (Which makes sense, considering two of the Nein's members spent their college days alongside Criteria's Stephen Pedersen in the White Octave.) Simultaneously rocking and experimental, Luxury features 13 avant-garde rock tracks teeming with singing synths, electronic flourishes and scattered sequencers. But despite the album's complex arrangements and Kid A-influenced tape manipulations (which can admittedly grow tedious for even the most patient listener), the best moments on the album are also the least cluttered, like the demented-guitar-top number "Get Up" and the harmony-rich "Sweet Vague," both of which prove that while the Luxury is an ambitious effort, it doesn't have to be a chore to enjoy it. (SONIC UNYON) Jonah Bayer
 Official Website: http://www.sonicunyon.com
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