Growing: All the Way

All the Way, Growing's second superb release of 2008, is measurably better than its predecessor, Lateral. Whereas Lateral was droning and austere, All the Way is more rhythmic. In a sense, the newest release is the closest thing to a pop record Growing will ever release. Repeating, arpeggiated sequences of notes sculpt something almost resembling a song, as if an extraterrestrial civilization had attempted to reconstruct music from Earth using only parts from Voyagers I and II. As the century unfurls, All the Way will either be a weird but beautifully accessible standout or the template for the pop music that follows.