Mason Proper has been spending their summer valiantly working on their sophomore LP in Ann Arbor, Mich. and have just emerged from the trenches, relatively unscathed. Time on the road definitely did this band good as their second LP, Olly Oxen Free, is easily their best work to date. While you can yell “olly olly oxen free” until your lungs hurt, this won’t be coming out until September 23 when Dovecote Records (Ed Harcourt, Tim Williams) unleashes it on the public.

The album was co-produced by the band and Chris Coady, best known for his work with TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeahs Yeah and Blonde Redhead, and it remains eclectic and ambitious as ever. While it sparkles with a youthful exuberance [as the LP title suggests], it is firmly rooted in the band’s trademark dark and deranged fashion, sort of like if Edgar Allen Poe fronted an indie rock band.

The fivesome will be heading out on the road this fall so stay tuned for tour dates. In the meantime, you can head on over to their MySpace for a taste of what to expect: www.myspace.com/masonproper