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Two full-lengths removed from the departure of Mazzy Star's long-lost sonic sister, lead vocalist Victoria Bergsman, the Concretes have a developed a sound that's altogether different from that of their early/mid-naughts heyday. It's also significantly less remarkable. Hollowed out and devoid of the languid, twinkling fuzz atop which Bergsman's voice floated, WYWH is a darker, thinner, more digitized affair whose only compelling moments come courtesy of a new-found sex appeal of the disco variety. "What We've Become," though not exactly a Studio 54 anthem, rises above the humdrum easy-listening tunes of the rest in that it's loud and somewhat fun — its propulsive electronic throb might pass for something off CSS's Cansei De Ser Sexy were the other elements not so self-serious. But overall, this release suggests that the Concretes need to step back and reflect. Retaining the pre-Bergsman storefront might bring listeners inside, but once they see the shelves stocked with products they didn't come for, they'll be that much more likely to turn around and leave without dropping a dime.
