An album like this sophomore effort from Philly-based husband/wife team Reading Rainbow is part of a very unlucky battle against the status quo, since its garage-band approach to reverb-heavy fuzz-punk melodies does exactly what an endless gaggle of lo-fi buzz bands thoroughly exhausted months ago. Which is an especially unfortunate spot for this duo, because Prism Eyes is a solid collection of gleefully punchy, efficient pop tracks that rival — maybe even eclipse — the output of most of their contemporaries. The album also marks significant progress from the band's debut, Mystical Participation: production is tightened, distortion is used less as a concealer and more as a well-deployed effect, and the former sluggish balladry gives way to earnest, up-tempo tunes that gun toward euphoria. The stuff is formulaic and simple, sure — but if there's praise that can be squeezed out of listeners who've grown jaded on this genre, Reading Rainbow are the band who deserve it.
