Space offer lyrics and vocal delivery that recall Ray Davies in the prime days of The Kinks, and a musical churning that suggests they've listened to their Brit-pop antecedents and learned a thing or two. Words like catchy, witty, and literate all spring to mind. Of course, not everything is perfect here; in this case, it's the crooning of "Female of the Species," which raises an unfortunate image of Bill Murray as Nick Rails the lounge singer on "Saturday Night Live." That aside, this is a first-rate release. Miss it at your own peril.
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