Why? came in to my life, as so many things do, randomly as I stood in Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center during the CMJ Music Marathon. On the mezzanine level a “day stage” was set up for performances. A sizable crowd had gathered to watch, but I was wary. I spotted three or four keyboards and a couple of guitars- I chalked it up as just another New Wave knockoff and thought about moving on.

Midway through the set, I had to ask the guy standing next to me who they were. Hailing from Berkley, California, Why?- Jonathan Wolf, Josiah Wolf, Matt Meldon, and Doug McDiarmid- write eccentric indiepop that could only marginally be called rock. Touring in support of their newest release, Elephant Eyelash, they’re the first group signed to Anticon Records to carry that label. It’s a big deal, considering that Anticon normally delivers eclectic underground hiphop. Airy organ flourishes and jangly guitars layered beneath a deadpan yet forceful vocal delivery, which seemed more poetry slam than melody making. Changes often came unexpectedly, pulling pieces in new directions from which they sometimes didn’t return. The members switched instruments and supported each other vocally in canonical embellishments. Playing with an intensity that was unexpected yet arresting, Why? drew the crowd in and held them close, as if sharing a bashful secret.

In truth, the twelve songs on Elephant Eyelash are like photographs in a stranger’s album- details in focus that hint at greater truths. Stream-of-consciousness lyrics, reminiscent of William S. Burroughs on a lucid day, paint tiny frozen confessions within moments of suburban banality. Food drives, movies, bedrooms, and roadtrips are the fabric of glimpsed philosophies. White Castle and DQ make appearances. Hair, leaves, and toenail clippings speak volumes.

Clear influences surface fleetingly, as a dolphin momentarily breaks the surface of the ocean. Touches of Bjork’s music boxes appear on “The Hoofs”; Piper at the Gates of Dawn-era Pink Floyd shows through on “Fall Saddles”. Here, a reggae bassline flavors the verse; there, vocals take on a hiphop air. Listening to Elephant Eyelash on headphones reveals a depth of production that belies the quiet beauty of the tracks.

Found sounds and recorded conversations add layers of mystery to an already murky spirit. Overdubs enrich through color and subtlety. They’re reminiscent of a less bubbly Olivia Tremor Control, or They Might Be Giants without the comedy.

Though I was impressed by their performance, I found the album to be difficult- intriguing one minute, off-putting the next. It was with continued spins that the heart of this disc revealed itself, thus bringing it full circle- discovery leading to discovery, confession leading to confession. Far from the superficiality that much of “rock” has descended to, Why? acknowledges and explores the profundity of small moments and the simple ordinary. If, as the saying goes, God is in the details, then Why? searches for a sign, and finds traces worth exalting.

Why? is touring until mid-November, so visit www.anticon.com for info, mp3s and updates. Hope you find their melancholic memories to be as fascinating as I did.