Some bright, some boisterous

Much of the trendiest indie-rock of recent years has been marked by ecstatic expression, whether it be the freak-folk of Animal Collective, the collectivist outbursts of Broken Social Scene or even The Shins' giddy, yelping pop.

Raleigh's Annuals skyrocketed into the college-rock consciousness in 2006 thanks to a debut LP, "Be He Me," that embodied these more-is-more principles with messily exuberant tunes. The group's sophomore effort, "Such Fun," represents a reining in of its predecessor, but preserves the charms and the liabilities that make Annuals such an intriguing yet frustrating band.

Most of Annuals' music is busy and bursting at the seams, a bricolage of instruments and styles piled on top of each other willy-nilly. Too often these sonic effusions lack solid melodic underpinnings. In songs like the semi-funky "Hot Night Hounds" and awkwardly bluesy "Hair Don't Grow," the effect is that of a band working to compensate for fundamental shortcomings.

Nonetheless, "Such Fun" isn't merely a case of putting lipstick (and eyeliner and rouge) on a pig. Annuals is capable of making something not purely manic when the band allows its compositions to breathe. "The Tape" is unquestionably the album's highlight, boasting a lovely refrain ("what must I say to keep you all day") that stops you dead in your tracks in a way that a whole bunch of wearying, unchanneled boisterousness just can't manage.