Man/Miracle, The Shape of Things

Man/Miracle say The Shape of Things, their first album, is "about living in a space that's both crumbling and full of life," which kind of makes the whole thing sound like an indie-rock sociology project. But when you realize "this space" is actually their dilapidated house in Oakland, where they rehearse and have basement shows, you get to the crux of it — this is an exceedingly exuberant, sweaty rock record.

For as good a Man/Miracle m.o. as you're gonna get, listen to "Multitudes" — it's a manic, twitching romp that trips all over itself with positively gleeful recklessness. Such is the sound of Shape: a bluster of furiously scratched-out dual guitar lines, galloping drum acrobatics and David Byrne-ian yelps. The album is full of brimming-over moments — even in the quiet, more deliberate corners of Shape, you can feel the band itching with anticipation. When the whole thing explodes again, a split second before the metronome probably clicked, it's an incredible rush.

"Pushing and Shoving," which we previously tapped for the eMusic Selected + Collected compilation, is an immediate highlight, with its breezy shuffle-strut and perfectly lilting vocal melody. "Hot Sprawl," though, is probably the biggest winner. It has an irresistible, head-bobbing stop/start rhythm and a layered vocal approach that's bolder and more resonant than any other song on the record. By the time we hit album-closer "Ghost Tongue," the boys sound wiped. The song's first half is downright delicate compared to Shape's otherwise frantic pace but, true to form, the final minute is a full-on pedal yell freakout — the last gasp from an excitable, exciting young band with everything to prove.