It’s tempting to dismiss Infinite Number of Sounds as just another post-rock outfit: Tortoise-inspired indie rockers awed by samplers and sequencers. But even if some of the styling sounds familiar, almost every song on Time Wants a Skeleton offers a varied mood and instrumental approach, as well as a playful sense of humor that makes each track distinctly the band’s own.

The sequence of convoluted breakbeats and wall-of-guitar feedback that polish off “Disfingered” could’ve been produced by Trent Reznor, if he could stop brooding long enough to insert roaring kung-fu samples. Cuts like “Ignorant Bad Man” and “Emo Joe” knock off laptop beatmakers in a similar way, with serene moods and wistful synth parts that sound as if they were programmed by Cex, Kid 606, or Stars as Eyes. Combined with organic drum beats, sunny trumpet interludes, and rollicking riffs, these tunes make Time Wants a Skeleton a constantly unfolding treat.

This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2003.