There are bands that write songs, and there are bands that write sounds. The experimental L.A. rock act Autolux is firmly among the latter. Its 2004 debut “Future Perfect” was essentially a group exercise in using technology to re-imagine traditional instruments as a sleek monolith of detached feedback and brutal drumming. Even though six years have passed, its follow-up “Transit Transit” only elaborates on that idea.

By and large, this is a good thing. The band’s tone palette of dark blues and grays remains in place, with a new tilt toward found sounds and empty space — the minimalist drum machine patter of “High Chair” and the glitchy title track is ambitious and evocative. Drummer Carla Azar is still the real star here, even when dialed down in service of color and atmosphere.

But Autolux’s main weakness — its refusal to go for the jugular and just write something catchy — still holds them back. Tracks like “Census” and “Kissproof” have some thrilling atonal noise blasts but can’t quite bolster unambitious melodies. 

Autolux clearly saves its affection for intricacy and sonic margins, but after six years you’d think it’d sound more eager for the spotlight.

—August Brown

Autolux
“Transit Transit”
TBD Records
Two and a half stars (Out of four)

You'd be forgiven for having forgotten about Autolux. Their first and only album came out six years ago, which is practically pre-Cambrian in Internet time. That was before Pitchfork had launched a website devoted to micro music trends and a million blogs had sprung up to capture increasingly greenhorn bands.

Indeed, the stellar and polished "Future Perfect," dropped in September of 2004, before the online music world had begun its blood-lust to be first, an evolution that can only lead to live streams and live-tweets of first rehearsals in Williamsburg featuring four flannel-clad men surrounded by Macbooks, effects pedals, samplers, and a rarely used beard trimmer.

Before Silversun Pickups built on their neo-shoegaze template and ran with it, the trio of Eugene Goreshter (vocals/bass), Greg Edwards (guitar/vocals), and Carla Azar (vocals/drums) were the initial breakout band from Silver Lake. Signed to T-Bone Burnett's DMZ records, the record drew favorable comparisons to Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead, and the Jesus & Mary Chain, while touring with big names like Beck and the White Stripes.