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San Francisco trio Parker Street Cinema's post-rock offering Music, in the Blood fastens itself somewhere between the abrasive and the pastoral, never quite veering to either extreme. The production is solid, embedding a variety of punchy, often growling bass tones underneath the piano leads. This combination of timbres often has Parker Street Cinema reminding listeners of a musical aesthetic similar to that of Tortoise, such as in the compelling "Something About the Audience." The pseudo-title track "Blood Music" follows this path with a dominant rhythm section pounding behind purposely-dissonant piano. One of the reasons this formula works so well is the ability of bassist Kevin Dick and drummer Ken Mahru to lock into a groove in a way that truly compliments each other, like the rhythmically-tight "Blackhole B Flat." Although certainly not the focus of Parker Street Cinema, there are also moments of beautiful soundscapes -- particularly "These Precious Seconds," undoubtedly one of the high points of the album, sampling the sounds of children's laughter along side Brian Glover's peaceful leads. "The Hymn of El Cerrito" samples its narrative from the 1969 LP The Groupies, where a young woman describes how music affects her life. Ultimately, Music, in the Blood encourages listeners to consider a similar inward narrative, contemplating the textures and layers of sounds. Yet, Parker Street Cinema never let listeners wander too far, always remembering to keep their commanding post-rock power at the forefront.

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