Despite their connections to the scene -- the band is based in Brooklyn's Williamsburg district and keyboardist/sound manipulator has produced releases by and -- 's debut EP, , is difficult to place, musically or geographically speaking. The angular, arty feel that informs the bands that has worked with is evident in 's music too, but in a cool, implosive way; combined with the keyboards and electronics that make up the backbone of their songs and 's richly melancholy vocals, they don't sound like any other band out there. Elements of , , even vocal music combine and recombine throughout ' five songs so organically that it's clear that isn't striving to be "eclectic" or "atmospheric": the band is simply using their naturally diverse elements and influences to create something wholly distinctive. And delivers just that, starting with the opening track, which begins with a martial, crunchy drumbeat and ominously droning synths before blossoming out into flutes and 's close harmonies. 's collaboration is nothing less than inspired, with 's skills as a sound sculptor providing the perfect foil for , who is something of a rarity in the world of indie music: a vocalist who can really sing. His falsetto on gives it an added depth, while his circular, layered vocals on the stunning make the song's simple lyrics ("I seen a girl with a guy/Her hair like yours from what I remember/It's been so long since last December") truly moving. Likewise, itself conveys a soulful paranoia that ties into the undercurrent of the entire EP and is expressed most literally by its hidden track, a radical cover of ' Part and part , it's almost completely unrecognizable to the original, but once again it proves that doesn't travel obvious routes. More promising than most full-length debuts, needs to be heard by anyone who values smart, challenging music. ~ Heather Phares