SLCene Suggests: Guster at The Depot

GUSTER, THE DEPOT, Friday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m., $30

With more than two decades together as a band since forming in Boston, it would be easy for Guster to be coasting on its strong catalog of winning alt-pop. Instead, for their new album Evermotion, the group decided to make some dramatic changes, both in how it works and how it sounds. First, they tracked down uber-producer Richard Swift, best known perhaps for his work with Damian Jurado or for playing bass alongside the Black Keys, and hunkered down in his Oregon studio. Then they largely put their guitar sound on the backburner, choosing to focus on serious drum grooves and keyboards on the new songs. The resulting set is both more expansive in sound than ever before, and raw thanks to Swift’s rapid way of recording and moving on quickly to the next tune. One thing that certainly hasn’t changed is Guster’s way with a live show–they are solid every time.