Quietly, humbly, Andy Gonzales is making music of sublime sophistication. His latest opus, Antistar, is a stylistic relocation to Zanzibar, an uprooting of the old sound and a refining of the craft he's been working at for years now. Recalling at times the understated tropicalia of a Jorge Ben record, but with the bouncy pop hooks of Steely Dan and the breeze of Donovan, Marshmallow Coast's Antistar is a fresh and clever album that shuns the fumbling attempts of so many bands to recreate a rock experience long past.

Since releasing 2002's Ride the Lightning, Gonzales has revamped his musical master plan, stepping down from Of Montreal and paring down the Marshmallow Coast line-up. This exclusive focus on Marshmallow Coast for the first time since the early 4-track days has sharpened Gonzales' musical vision; he has enlisted only occasional help from Eric Harris on percussion, Sara Kirkpatrick on flute and Jason Nesmith on bass, banjo and effects. Live, Gonzales has simplified things as well, as he is primarily playing acoustic shows with Kirkpatrick contributing sparse, fluttering flute.

With the acoustic sound, Gonzales is exploring more inventive guitar playing - and this newfound simplicity allows for some of the prettiest moments he's ever put to tape. Beautifully finger-picked strings dance with his Mayo Thompson-like vocal delivery. But dig deeper, and the words reveal stories that are simple, surreal, often funny, sometimes sad and inevitably strange. When Gonzales is joined by a full band, Marshmallow Coast evolves into a twisted pop machine - disjointed rhythms that recall Caetano Veloso drive hooks that sound channeled straight from '70s AM radio.

Marshmallow Coast has never been easy to process, and as Gonzales grows as a songwriter, you might have to meet him halfway to parse the odder chords and the melodies' strange bounce. But spend some time with his unique approach and you'll find a true, surprising genius. Much like the brilliance and charm of artists like Magnetic Fields, Marshmallow Coast not only references a lofty cross section of music history, but does it in an unforced and natural way. Andy Gonzales is a visionary songwriter and Antistar marks a major accomplishment in his ever-growing discography.