A Series of Screws

System and Station write songs that are accessible, complex and endearing. With Larry Crane (Tape Op, Jackpot!) at the wheel once again as their longtime producer/engineer, A Series of Screws can be viewed as both an evolution and a pinnacle in the story of System and Station. With a dedication to honing the songs focusing on what the band does best, A Series of Screws delivers plenty of hooks in a tighter package, building on a trajectory that began with 2008's A Nation of Actors and 2009's I'm Here To Kill EP. At the root of it System and Station are a hard-working/touring indie-rock band with plenty of arena-sized moments. Both sides of that equation are fully realized on this album which begins with a nod to Zeppelin in "Pain Pills," ends with a resonant Pacific Northwest-type groove in the title track, and in between offers the sort of loud/quiet/loud dynamics and guitar heroics ("In The Valley," "Pardon Me") that have earned them comparisons to bands like Shiner, Sunny Day Real Estate and Built To Spill.