Though he began his esteemed career behind the drum kit, more recently Austrian musician B. Fleischmann has been better known for his electronic work. With well-received albums every two or three years since the late '90s, Fleischmann emphasizes beats, rhythms and interesting percussion on his new album I'm Not Ready For The Grave Yet . It's experimental but not disjointed and draws from a deep interest in electronic sounds.

“Don't Follow” takes Fleischmann's fondness for synth noises and slams it against soothing guitars and his deep, gentle voice. You can't deny it's a risky opener, but it also possesses plenty of pop ideas as well. “Tomorrow” follows, and is full of The Postal Service-type electronica that builds into complicated layers. “Beat Us” turns darker and wouldn't be out of place on a Radiohead album musically, though the singing is supplanted with samples over repetitive talking. “Lemminge” in an instrumental track that starts out slower and toned down, but builds into a busy, noisy adventure. Near the end, “At Night The Fox Comes” and “Your Bible Is Printed On Dollars” are calm, sparse tracks, the former having Fleischmann nearly whispering, while on the latter he touches on the album title, remarking “I'll be DJ In Hell.”

Lyrically, as suggested by the album title, many heavy themes of life and its dissipation are covered. Though Fleischmann isn't 40 yet, he's clearly aware of just how fleeting life is, and that train of thought comes through in songs like “Tomorrow,” where he sings “Yesterday we thought / Tomorrow we would / Tomorrow we say / Tomorrow we should.” Using minimal lyrics and cryptic atmospheres, he creates moods where even seemingly simple lines like “Don't follow me” in “Who Emptied The River” come off as profound and introspective.

Rating: B

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