The Most Serene Republic - Population

There’s nothing serene about the sophomore album from Milton, Ont.’s young art-rock sextet. Although the band, which shares a record label with Broken Social Scene, favors dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes, there’s a disquieting, David Lynch-like undercurrent running through much of its work. Songs like the mellifluous “Present of Future End” and the cascading “Sherry and her Butterfly Net,” highlighted by the sweet harmonies of Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn, lull listeners into a dark, distinctly dystopian world.