MOG Editorial Review

After gaining healthy buzz from the blogosphere with 2009's Why There Are Mountains, Cymbals Eat Guitars have crafted a sophomore effort that is equal parts nostalgic and forward-thinking. Rather than refine the indie rock sound of the moment that gained them attention in the first place, Lenses Alien finds the band taking cues from progressive '90s acts like Built to Spill, whose influence is immediately evident on eight-minute opener "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)." Still, the sprawling nature of songs like "The Current" show that the band's ambitions are more than mere nostalgia, and we can only hope they continue to fuse new and old sounds into something entirely their own.