Kevin Bronson on May 18th, 2011

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The eclectic jazz-pop of L.A. quintet Big Moves can sometimes seem like an exercise in musical aerobics as much as songwriting, but their adventurous spirit and labyrinthine arrangements will appeal to sophisticates who like their artists to color outside the lines. The group’s new “Lanterns” EP – the follow-up to 2008’s album “In the Beginning” – finds Jess Imme’s nimble, clarion vocals playing hopscotch with the piano and guitar lines and percussion laid out by bandmates Blake Straus, David Corwin, Taylor Dexter and Wes Singerman. “Parrot” chirps with almost mathematical precision; “Groundbreaking Studies” has a ’90s indie-rock churn with art-rock flourishes; and the title track barrels ahead in shards of guitar, inviting you to pick through it. In all, Big Moves are not for the faint of ear.

||| Download: “Parrot”