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604 [2011 Bonus Tracks]
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Barnes and Noble
604 [2011 Bonus Tracks]
Current price: $13.99
Barnes and Noble
604 [2011 Bonus Tracks]
Current price: $13.99
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On their debut full-length
,
prove how apt their name is: their sound mixes evocative vintage synths and plaintive female vocals as it references over two decades' worth of
, and
(including
, whose
is the group's namesake). Like the
EP,
balances
's
and
sides.
reinterpret
's noisy, dystopian soundscapes, and the shimmering
sounds like
filtered through
. However, it's the tightly structured pop songs that set
apart.
is
's lovelorn heart and soul, a heartbroken disco diva singing through her tears on
and a sadder but wiser confidante on
Meanwhile,
deadpan singing and Bulgarian accent add a touch of Ninotchka-style wit and irony to
which parodies a department store's fake cheeriness, and
a piece of Weimar Republic-era cabaret brought into the 21st century.
vocals blend perfectly on songs like the brooding, witty single
But
's mix of retro songwriting and modern themes is their most interesting, and distinctive, aspect. Set at the airport and the disco,
blends jealousy and sexual ambiguity, asking "Do you want to be her or don't you / Of course you do / But would she be you?" This subversive streak makes the album's synth-pop more progressive -- and more satisfying -- than its blatantly experimental moments, but either way,
is an exciting debut from a group capable of making overused influences sound fresh again. ~ Heather Phares