Malachai’s second album gets ‘Ugly’

Malachai’s second album opens up with an ominous two-minute orchestral overture — exactly the kind that would accompany the opening credits to a thriller movie — before a sudden drum solo leads into the jumpy first tune, “Anne.” It’s the sound of “The Dark Knight” suddenly shape-shifting into “Rush Hour,” and instantly, the band falls back on its favorite trick for the first time of many: alternating harshly between incompatible aesthetics.

“Return to the Ugly Side” finds the band coming further out of left field while trying to compose a more cohesive product. For instance, almost all of the songs flow together without silence despite the wild jumps that occur between them musically. At various moments on “Return,” one can easily detect psych-rock influences from each of the past five decades, but the band’s unabashed cycling between jazzy slow jams (“How You Write”), gloomy minor-key trip-outs (“Rainbows”) and freak-folk campfire chants (“Hybernation”) quickly turns aimless. All of the impulses come off too deliberately. Organic mood swings are one thing, but the band only succeeds at them for so long before they are just indulging in rough sound clashes.

Malachai isn’t afraid to show off its impressive toolbox; its biggest fear is of being classified. It’s not quite rock ’n’ roll, not quite experimental. There is a light tape hiss throughout the album, yet the fantastic production details on many tracks are undeniable, making them not quite lo-fi. “Return” offers plenty to explore, but little reason to.