Frog Stand

Named for the moped that helped them around the streets of Berlin for eight months, KR-51 furthers Clare and The Reasons’ reputation as art-song warriors. This is abstract music, with arrangements that swirl and dive-bomb beyond the standard power-trio. Where Van Dyke Parks once left his mark, now members of the Orchestre de Paris add grander, live textures, with in-demand drummer James McAlister brought in to provide the backbeat. There’s a tribal carnival, in addition to the orchestra, driving “This Too Shall Pass,” where the results sounds like beatniks gone Juilliard. The complexity can be a bit overwhelming and the album’s best moments are the ones ( “The Mauerpark” ) where Clare Manchon’s voice towers above the hustle and bustle.