The breathy female vocals of "The Lithium Stiffs" -- as always, without any lyrics -- slip elegantly into the orchestral refrains of "Crest," which impressively conjure the melancholy swell of Joy Division's "Atmosphere." In "On the Chin," Tortoise veers dangerously close to the kitsch of dentist-office jazz before beating an icy retreat into formalism. And in the final track, "Salt the Skies," the band tips its hat to the hard fuzz of acid rock. There's plenty for the loyal Tortoise fan to love and a lot for newcomers to like. But the proficiency of John McEntire and his collaborators still sounds like the musical equivalent of a glass-walled Modernist home: It's easier to admire than to live in.