Easter weekend, I was relaxing at home, working on the groove in my favorite couch. Remote controls and CDs and the remains of cereal bowls piled up around me. It was glorious.

I listened to It's All Around You, the new disc from instrumental indie rockers Tortoise. I stared at the landscapes on the cover as if they held some mystery to be unlocked.

Then, while updating myself on poor Jeff Tweedy's condition at www.pitchforkmedia.com, I saw it: a review of this very album.

I was optimistic. Tortoise takes years between albums, and it shows. From the synth buildup and drowsy guitar strokes that open the lead track to the last strike of the xylophone on "Salt the Skies," I was impressed. Surely a site that pontificates endlessly for indie rock would praise such an effort.

Not so. I nearly forgot that, to them, no band is sacred lest it's The Pixies. The review was a diatribe littered with big words and obscure references, even Tamagotchis were mentioned.

Sifting through it all, I deciphered some meaning and a basis to make my stand against the world-weary, plaid-uniformed detractors.

Sure, the album is as glossy and produced as its cover. But if anything, this is an indication of the band's unbelievable prowess in the studio rather than a sense of detachment.

I found It's All Around You extremely engaging. True, it's no departure from efforts such as TNT and Standards, and certainly not groundbreaking like Millions Now Living Will Never Die.

If you're a fan of those, don't expect any surprises this time around. I bet you'll still enjoy yourself though. And if not, well, write how mainstream I am in your blog.

-- Reviewed by David Tatasciore