Starflyer 59 TALKING VOICE VS. SINGING VOICE (Tooth & Nail)

Last year’s stripped-down and dirty I Am the Portuguese Blues was a curious move for a band whose harmonic palette has matured far beyond their hazy, noise-pop beginnings. But alt-Christian rocker Jason Martin’s Starflyer 59 are still at their best when cranking out dense, atmospheric soundscapes. Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice is packed with sonic surprises, from Matt Fronke’s steamy trumpet duet with a vocoder voice on "Easy Street" to the interplay between the creepy guitar crawl and the washes of strings that grace "Night Life." And on "Softness, Goodness" and "The Longest Line," Martin avoids the prayer-happy rock star’s trap by emphasizing mood rather than message. Indeed, the band’s melodic explorations and sonic experimentations often disarm Martin’s more dogmatic lyrics: "The Longest Line" has lines like "Got one destination/For Jesus to call me home," but it’s the band’s facility with New Ordered neo new wave that leaves the biggest impression.

(Starflyer 59 headline this Sunday, May 8, upstairs at the Middle East, 472 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square; call 617-864-EAST.)