Record Review - 1 May 22 2002

Forming Enon in 1998 was therapeutic for ex-Brainiac guitarist John Schmersal. It allowed him to immerse himself in twitchy tinkering following the death of Brainiac lead singer/keyboardist Tim Taylor, which led to the Dayton, Ohio, quartet's disbanding.

Among the things that evolved from Schmersal's Enon therapy was 2000's Believo!, which revealed its studio origins with spastic samples clanking seemingly out of meter to new wave melodies. And while in most ways, Believo! had an identity all its own, it also owed a lot to Schmersal's former outfit. But with the follow-up, Higher Society, Enon has come further into its own. Now comprised of Schmersal, bassist Toko Yasuda (of Lapse/Blonde Redhead fame) and drummer Matt Schultz, Enon functions more as a traditional band — and that more direct approach to performance is reflected on High Society.

That's not to say there isn't a fair share of the jerky junkyard rhythms that helped define Enon as the latest torchbearers in the vein of quirk-pop pioneers the Cars, Talking Heads and Devo. Even the most "traditional" rockers are formed out of looping, pounding patterns rolling with hiss and rubberband bass. There's more fuzz, less outright funk — but it's no less funky.

Even if they now rock to a rhythm more "traditional," Enon continue to skip along to their own bruised beat. And if you're down with this whimsical Society, you're in some good company.

-- TONY WARE

Enon plays The Earl Wed., May 29.??