Detachment Kit OF THIS BLOOD (French Kiss)

Better known for jagged guitars and screamo tendencies, Detachment Kit choose to open their new Of This Blood with soft acoustic plucks, soothing horns, and airy harmonies that lean more toward Elephant 6 Beatle-isms than DC discordance. It’s a surprising but welcome orchestral maneuver for an art-punk band. And it’s emblematic of the difficulty of pegging Detachment Kit. Singer/guitarist Ian Menard’s charm lies in his ability to shift among fluid melodies, a bruised emo whine, and distorted caterwauls. Sometimes he pulls it off all in one song, such as the anthemic standout "Skyscrapers." Elsewhere, the band home in on varying musical objectives, from the skittering pulse of "Ted the Electric," with its buzzsaw chords and a throat-gouging wail, to the less pleasing straight-ahead noisecore of "The Race," which is reminiscent of the Deftones’ take on the loud-soft-loud dynamic. "Genivive the Countess" is a better stab at sludgy hardcore.

For their first album, 2002’s They Raging. Quiet Army (Self-Starter), Detachment Kit spent all of one day in the studio. This time, they stretched it to two weeks. The balladry of "Ricochet" and the strings-and-accordion ornamentation on "Ice Queen" show what they can accomplish when they take their time.

(Detachment Kit perform this Friday, June 11, upstairs at the Middle East, 472 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square, with We Ragazzi, Furvis, and Get On Get On; call 617-864-EAST.)