BRITISH SEA POWER

Valhalla Dancehall

[Rough Trade]

British Sea Power is known for big ideas and an even bigger sound. On their first three albums, these wily Brits transformed themselves from artsy thrashers into U2-grade stadium-rock flag wavers. That the group was nowhere near popular or accessible enough to play stadiums made the whole thing all the more confusing—and intriguing. Then came its fourth album, Man of Aran, a largely instrumental soundtrack to a 1934 documentary. Following that diversion, British Sea Power had two options: stay freaky or veer back on course. On Valhalla Dancehall, the band does both. The record opens with its two most straightforward tracks, “Who’s in Control” and “We Are Sound,” gigantic rock songs filled with urgency and cryptic calls to action. From there, the band branches off into psychedelic punk (“Stunde Null”), krautrock (“Living Is So Easy”) and moody chamber-pop (“Cleaning Out the Rooms”). The album ends with “Once More Now,” an 11-minute epic more easily admired than enjoyed. –Kenneth Partridge