Sometimes, the record-label hype gets it right. “Bent Knee is unlike any band you’ve ever heard,” boldly proclaims the press release about Land Animal, the fourth album from the quirky art-rock collective. Thanks to vocalist Courtney Swain and her arresting delivery, Chris Baum’s versatile violin and Ben Levin’s unnerving guitar, Boston’s Bent Knee will give your tired playlists an invigorating jolt. Tricky melodies, especially on the aggressively beautiful “Holy Ghost,” mingle with other tracks punctuated by serrated arrangements that bounce haphazardly from avant-garde rock to lush dream-pop. “Boxes” closes the album with a grim rumination on an uncertain future.
