Circlesquare

Despite the title, Circlesquare's return after three years of silence (and a bum record deal) strikes far from a celebratory tone. Jeremy Shaw's second album -- recorded this time with a full rhythm section fleshing out his electronic drums and drones -- comes on like the hangover of a decade's worth of lost nights hitting all at once. Bass oozes like a codeine drip over zombie-shuffle beats; guitars and hospital-room bleeps suffuse the songs with thick, dead air, through which Shaw's mesmerizing alto cuts like a memory you can't blot out. But the overall effect is comforting -- even sensual.