The quiet longevity of Askeleton's leading man Knol Tate, formerly of Twin Cities underground favorites Kill Sadie and Hidden Chord, is nothing short of admirable. When those beloved bands came to their respective ends at the turn of the century, Askeleton began. In the early days the sound matched the name: Tate’s skeletal tracks getting by on little more than ramshackle vocals, playful electronic whirrs and simple keyboard blips. Although Askeleton’s origins are as a one-man band of the neurotically digital variety, Askeleton didn't stay a bedroom project for long. Slowly adding members over the years until it became the current five-piece that plays on The Personalization, Askeleton have recast themselves as charming pop-rock conveyors while retaining the wry sense of humor Tate has always been revered for.

Tate's talented conspirators here include Bill Caperton (Ela) and Robert Skoro (ex-Mason Jennings Band, his own endearing solo work), and they add more to the mix than just volume. Caperton lets his guitar run wild with the effusiveness of his other band throughout The Personalization, striking a balance between crunchy tones and sparkling melodies. The musical depth provided by Tate's sonic partners marks The Personalization as Askeleton’s first “band” record at the same time his lyrical quips on relationships and life and death in St. Paul make good on the album’s title.

The band covers a lot of ground using a simpler power-pop template, but a large part of the album’s appeal lies with Tate’s quirky lyricism. Whether he’s rattling off rhymes about iconic French figures Marcel Marceau and Jean Cocteau on “This Isn’t French” or indulging in gallows humor on “Death to Saint Paul” (Sample lyric: “Yesterday I didn't hate being alive, so why does tonight?”), Tate remains full of surprises. Whenever Tate threatens to get too morose oodles of backing bada-bops and whoas serve as an effective counterbalance. 

While The Personalization is far from a groundbreaking album, Askeleton are in a way being quite daring by consciously steering clear of the noise/psych/shoegaze sounds that have catapulted so many recent local acts into the spotlight. By refusing to cash in on any currently trendy aesthetic (shortly after the success of The Postal Service, Tate ditched all his synths), Askeleton are enjoyable on their own terms. Hopefully that honorable approach keeps them active and relevant in the scene for years to come.

Watch Askeleton at work in a video for "Swearing Isn't Very Becoming on You" from The Personalization