Ultraviolet Hippopotamus/Dead Ahead

Earlier this summer, we wrote about how UV Hippo’s three-track Broomhilda Suite shows just how expansive the band’s sound has become since Songs for the Reaper dropped a scant five years ago. Now, we’ve gotta add an effusive “Good Lord Almighty!” as we dig into the band’s latest LP, Translate. Tightening the melodic screws ever more, the guys really seem like they’re coming into their own on this one. Each song is a full-bodied representation of UV Hippo’s diligence on the composition front. Tunes like “La Marea” (complete with kaleidoscopic guitar work) and “Tugboat” weave through so many different moods and environments, lending the album a "more than the sum of its parts" feel. (Sandy)