Stars Like Fleas

Two standout tracks on Stars Like Fleas’ second full-fledged album cohere in ways that lift the group—extant in some form since 1999—above the crowded pack of loosely bounded indie “collectives.” One, “Berbers in Tennis Shoes,” backs a wealth of vocal and instrumental hooks with an uncharacteristically solid backbeat and flecks of distortion, while the subdued “I Was Only Dancing” balances the banjo and pedal-steel licks of guest players Sam Amidon and Gerald Menke with a sweet, clearly defined vocal melody. Even singer Montgomery Knott’s wavering, James Blunt–via–Will Oldham delivery can’t kill writing and arranging this strong—which is saying something.

Elsewhere, Knott and fellow core member Shannon Fields (credited with harp, production and “too much to get into right now”) hold the reins on the disc’s dozen other credited musicians less tightly. Knott’s melodies and Ryan Smith’s sedate piano recur consistently, but such elements are often scrambled with atonal violin and rhythmically unmoored percussion, or (on “Karma’s Hoax”) suddenly squashed by a blast of hydra-headed improvisation.

This nonhierarchical approach can be appealing, but it’s hardly unprecedented; fans of Sparklehorse, Souled American or O’Rourke-era Wilco should have no trouble processing the interpenetration of tune and texture, although more song-oriented listeners may find the 13-minute closing montage, “Some Nettles,” trying. Is Stars Like Fleas a folk-pop band with experimental elements, or the reverse? If The Ken Burns Effect aims to make that question unanswerable, it’s a resounding success.

Stars Like Fleas plays Union Pool Sat 14.