Lysine

VINYL FORMAT. The structure of Lysine appears to be one of utmost simplicity. Sunny-day synth stabs maintain a syncopated three-note pattern almost constantly throughout the title track, while sweet daytime-radio female vocals (courtesy of Ben Jacobs' sister Becky) deliver a witty tribute to the benefits of the eponymous amino acid. It is testament to Jacobs' subtlety as the composer, producer and instrumentalist behind this apparently straightforward pop song (from which highly complex and unconventional elements emerge upon repeated listens). Careful attention to the detailed drum programming reveals that there is not a single repeated pattern throughout the song's four minutes. Even when the vocals recede to place this layer of the music center stage, the aggression that usually accompanies such carefully designed percussion is restrained in order to allow the dominant riff the supremacy that good pop sense dictates. The result is therefore rewarding to both the casual and the discerning ear, as Max Tundra finds yet another way to blur the distinction between lightweight pop and inventive exuberance.