It's easy to hear that Quixoticism is the work of an obsessive songwriter and bedroom sound engineer, tempered as the record is with careful consideration to vocal effects and delicately layered harmony. It's Psych-pop that becomes, in the later tracks, something as progressive (in instrumentation if not in vocals) as Broken Social Scene, if on a smaller scale, with darker undertones.

Ron Lewis, who has worked with Fruit Bats, The Joggers, and Colin Meloy, is the man behind this project. For the most part, I really enjoy the music on this record. I take issue with the vocals, which sound strained at times, and song names.

Song titles like "Even a Vampire Wouldn’t Drink My Blood", are needlessly mystifying. In this case, of course a vampire wouldn't drink your blood; a vampire is a spiritually active creature with discerning tastes: much like the discerning music fan, who wants just the right flavor of erotic, suggestive, or bloody lyricism.

In terms of the vocals themselves—where my biggest qualms lie—I guess they sound really toyed with. From the overly breathy singing on "We Wear It Like a Stained Glass Window", to the sparkly falsetto on "The Nettles In Your Mouth", they clearly have some kind of sound processing spread thickly over them. In addition, both those tracks have "ooo-la-la" type vocals in the chorus line which I have a personal aversion to. Though this point may be pedantic or music-geek-esoteric, I only like very visceral noises (yelps, growls, shouts) if the singing has to abstracted.

The naturalistic atmospherics of chirping birds and rushing surf on "The Motions" are what really hooked me into listening carefully to the album. That track is certainly a standout. In addition, "Secret Life of the Union, Part II" has a fantastic bouncy, Of Montreal-esque, introduction and bass line. As an added treat, at one point the song busts open in a torrent orchestral instrumentation, before collapsing back into the refrain. The previous track, "Isn't It Appropriate That Way", really listens better and is informed by the energy from "Secret Life of the Union, Part II". It's a truly dynamic track that’s worth hearing, even if the album as a whole proves too restrained or poised for many.