Aloha’s fourth full-length for Polyvinyl, Here Comes Everyone, opens kicking and screaming in a stunted 6/8 aggressive drum and angular guitar pattern. It is yet another foray into the group’s penchant for progressive rock and — when it breaks into the chorus saturated with keyboards — melodic indie rock. Titled “All the Wars,” this opening track is a prime example of what Aloha have been picking away at over their career, a forceful yet accessible strike into new and interesting ways to defy the expectations of modern rock & roll. To say no one has made similar approaches is foolish, but to give Aloha a nod for doing it better than most is most appropriate. At times, as in the pulsing “Summer Away,” the group adeptly channels rock icons the Police, most notably through the impressive vocals of Tony Cavallario, but also with the liberal use of marimba and vibes (the inclusion of the latter has been arguably the most intriguing staple of Aloha’s career). Other sections of Here Comes Everyone lilt through cascading lucidity, less demanding and robotic, and bring to mind the pleasantries of shuffling through the lazy haze of a low-key, late-summer night when the simplest objectives seem to hold endless majesty and wonder. Essentially Here Comes Everyone is a testament to Aloha’s musical dexterity, an audio portrait of a band expanding its palate in an ornate, organic web, and a striking one at that. – Gregory McIntosh