Across the Multiverse

Dent May came around in 2009 with a debut spilling over with quirky charm. A few albums, years, and a relocation to L.A. later and May’s released his newest, Across the Multiverse. Though written, recorded and produced mostly solo from the confines of May’s bedroom, the album feels big. With delicate synth layers, rich classic piano chords and faint vocal effects, it’s a ton of moving parts but tucked enough to keep from overwhelming the ear. Lyrically, it still has some of the fundamental May humor, especially with songs like “Dream 4 Me,” where over a bed of hammered saloon-toned piano May starts with, “I went out to a party again/to black out with my closest friends.” The title track (a duet with Frankie Cosmos) feels like L.A. in swingin’ ’60s twilight, with a bouncy horn-and-string groove and vocal nuance that falls in line with older Jens Lekman tunes. It might not make you laugh, but it’ll probably make you smile.