[4/5]
Opening track "The Philadelphia Grand Jury" kicks off the Fiery Furnaces' new album with a chicken-picked guitar riff that could pass for something from the Clash's Sandinista!. But the duo haven't hit the 30-second mark before they're onto something new. By the time the song is over nearly seven minutes later, they've already crammed more unexpected detours into Widow City than most bands would take in the course of a lifetime. So the Furnaces up to their usual tricks, making unexpected mash-ups of their own ideas. Even tracks as short-if not exactly to-the-point-as "Automatic Husband" or "Pricked In The Heart" jam an endless supply of non sequiturs into just over two minutes of music. The closest the pair come to a linear pop song is the psychedelic, post-Syd Barrett brilliance of "Duplexes Of The Dead." But even at their most adventurous, the melodies are undeniable. (THRILL JOCKEY) Ed Masley
 Official Website: http://www.thrilljockey.com
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