Home
88 92
Loading Inventory...
Barnes and Noble
88 92
Current price: $22.99
Barnes and Noble
88 92
Current price: $22.99
Loading Inventory...
Size: OS
*Product Information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, and additional information please contact Barnes and Noble
Expanding on the dreamy guitar pop leanings of their 2011 debut,
, Houston's
go further down the rabbit hole with their obscurely named but extremely colorful follow-up,
. Bolstered by the richly detailed production efforts of veteran producer and
scholar
,
floats in a sort of new wave, Technicolor state of chiming guitars, percolating synths, and the emotive
vocals of singer
. From the opening shimmer of leadoff track "Open Sesames" to the
, Indian-flavored jangle of album-closer "When I Said I Saw It Coming,"
offer up a wholly intoxicating mix.
and co-singer
swap lead vocal duties, often doing so within a song, further adding to the diversity of the band's already appealing sound. Album standout "Emergency Broadcast" features a strong co-ed performance from both singers over a wonderfully intricate, full-band riff that echoes the driving rhythm track of
's
-era classic "Look Back in Anger."
's title cut, "Eighty-Eight Ninety-Two," is a similarly angular-riffed take on visiting the psychiatric ward, revealing that the number 88 92 is the floor's access passcode.
's songs tend to skew more toward a sort of exotic disco-dream pop, like on the thrilling and melodic single "Eye Makeup," which suggests more of a
and
influence. With all of the '80s worship that's so prevalent in bands of the millennial era, it can be hard to distinguish the forward thinkers from the revivalists, but
present an interesting take that is both challenging and pleasingly retro. Having two unique voices and songwriters at the helm broadens their scope, and they've managed to greatly improve upon their sound with a stellar sophomore album. ~ Timothy Monger