Category: Single Review

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Night Swimming Shares Yearning and Heartbroken “Five-Year Plan”

Currently split between Bath and Bristol, Night Swimming — Meg Jones (vocals), Sam Allen (guitar), Jesse Roache (guitar), Josh Nottle (bass) and Torin Moore (drums) — are a rising British dream pop quintet, whose remarkably cinematic sound draws from their collective love of film and scores, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Radiohead, Wolf Alice, Just Mustard, Warpaint and a lengthy list of others. Meg Jones’ lyrics are often semi-veiled autobiography that draw from her own experiences and those close to her while also being influenced by Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, Ben Howard, Daughter‘s Elena Tonra, The Cure‘s Robert Smith and Lana Del Rey. 

Unlike their contemporaries, the rising British outfit has patiently taken the necessary steps to hone both their sound and live show, while landing support slots with acts like Coach Party, L’Objectif, JOVM mainstays The Orielles, The Blinders, Sad Night Dynamite, Automotion, Home Counties and a list of others. The rising British outfit played an opening set on the Dot To Dot Festival‘s SWX stage ahead of  Picture Parlor, Mary in the Junkyard, Hovvdy and Wunderhouse.

The members of Night Swimming have have also been covered by The Line of Best Fit, Dork Magazine, Rough Trade, The Rodeo and Notion Magazine while receiving airplay from BBC Radio 6’s Emily Pilbeam and landing on Radio X’s X-Posure playlist.

Adding to a ver busy year, Night Swimming’s debut EP No Place To Land is slated for a September 27, 2024 release. Recorded at Devon, UK‘s Middle Farm Studios last year, the Peter Miles-produced EP was recorded live to tape and features industrial rhythms set against an atmospheric soundscape, deeply influenced by Beach House‘s and Slowdive’s live shows, which the band noted combined sensory elements and a deep emotional response. 

Earlier this year, I wrote about EP single “Let That Be Enough,” a song that features propulsive and thumping percussion, shimmering and reverb soaked guitars and a rousingly anthemic and cathartic chorus as a lush and cinematic bed for Meg Jones’ bewitchingly ethereal delivery. Seemingly bridging Thank Your Lucky Stars and Depression Cherry-era Beach House with Once Twice Melody-era Beach House sonically, “Let That Be Enough” thematically touches on perfectionism and obsessive thoughts with the sort of novelistic attention to psychological detail of either someone who has lived it — or has personally seen it in others. Throughout there’s a sense of aching and vacillating doubt, confusion, bargaining and then a gradually begrudging acceptance and even a sort of trust. 

“‘Let That Be Enough’ is about moving on from past experiences,” Night Swimming’s Meg Jones explains, ” as well as learning to trust yourself and accepting the choices that you’ve made.”

The EP’s final single, EP closing track “Five-Year Plan” is a slow-burning and painterly-like shoegazer take on dream pop built around a shimmering wall of sound featuring swirling and shimmering guitar textures and thunderous drumming serving as a dreamily lush bed for Jones’ to sing about the loss of a close relationship with the bitterly yearning ache of someone who’s been unexpectedly dropped.

“‘Five-Year Plan’ is about the feeling of being dropped suddenly, without much explanation, by someone you were really close to,” Night Swimming’s Meg Jones explains. “The words were written quickly and without a lot of conscious thought, compared with our other songs. I think this captured the honesty of the difficult emotions I was experiencing at the time.”

“Like all of the tracks on the EP, ‘Five-Year Plan’ was recorded as a live performance to analogue tape,” Jones continues. “We recorded the songs this way to give them their own energy and movement akin to our live shows. There were minimal overdubs on ‘Five-Year Plan,’ however we did experiment with layers such as double tracked vocals/harmonies, a synth bass and even some acoustic guitar to thicken the mix. In terms of the writing process, the track was started by Jesse bringing an arpeggio melody to rehearsal that he’d be working on, and it was fleshed out by the rest of the band to create the wall of sound that is heard in the recording. A few of us were coincidentally experiencing similar life events at the same time, in the middle of winter, which definitely impacted the writing process. The song switches metre from 7/8 to 4/4 which we felt provided a cathartic release to end the song.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Santa Monica’s Yasmin Sydney Shares Brooding and Atmospheric “Mercy”

Yasmin Sydney is an emerging Santa Monica, CA-based artist, who cites the likes of Nothing But Thieves, OneRepublic, Ariana Grande, Charlie Puth, Rosenfeld, The Weeknd and The Neighbourhood as influences on her work.

Sydney’s latest single the Adrian Lopez-produced, Gerina Di Marco co-written “Mercy” is a slickly produced pop track featuring a glistening and arpeggiated guitar, atmospheric synths, skittering beats paired with big hooks and choruses. Seemingly meshing elements of R&B and electro pop in a way that nods at JOVM mainstays Beacon, the radio friendly production serves as lush and brooding bed for the Santa Monica-based artist’s pop starlet expressive delivery.

“Mercy,” as Sydney explains is a song that “explores the confusion of uncertain love.” And throughout the song’s narrator seems desperate to get some kind of clarity and resolution to her situation.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Bad Robot Shares French Touch-like “Close To You”

Micheal Ricker is a Delaware-based electronic music producer and artist best known as Bad Robot. Earlier this year, he released “Supermassive,” which was built around skittering, tweeter and woofer rattling thump, scorching bass synths and a woozy and wobbling synth melody. And fittingly, it’s the sort of club and festival banger that sounds as though it should knock a building over.

According to Ricker, his latest single “Close To You” is “a bit of a departure into a brighter, more ‘pop’ sounding progressive house style.” Built around an almost mantra-like glistening synth phrase, shimmering synth arpeggios and skittering beats, the motorik-like “Close To You” is both summery and remarkably catchy, while seemingly nodding at Discovery-era Daft Punk-like French touch.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Boston’s Lanterne Shares Nostalgia-Inducing 80s-Inspired “Real”

Andres Gamero is a Central New Hampshire-born, Boston-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and creative mastermind behind the indie, solo recording project Lanterne. Central New Hampshire isn’t exactly known for a having a bustling music scene, so Gamero grew up listening to and being inspired by his older brothers’ CD collection, which included Three Days Grace, System of a Down, Blink-182, Daft Punk, Gorillaz and Arctic Monkeys. However, Gamero didn’t start making music until he attended Worcester, MA-based College of the Holy Cross, where he took multiple music courses and joined the choir in his senior year to help bolster his skills.

The Central New Hampshire-born, Boston-based artist’s Lanterne debut single “Real” is a hook-driven, post-punk bop with a decidedly nostalgia-inducing 80s feel anchored around glistening synths, reverb-soaked, angular guitar, a driving groove serving as a lush bed for Gamero’s plaintive and yearning delivery.

Thematically, the song as Gamero explains is “about finding love only once you’ve found yourself,” which adds to the 80s rom-com soundtrack-like vibe of the song.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Animal Scream Teams Up with Ames Harding & The Mirage on a Breezy and Hook-Driven Bop

Pittsburgh-based duo Animal Scream — Chad Monticue and Josh Sickels — specialize in combining psych pop with a sound design-driven aesthetic that manages to be dark and cinematic, a noir-tinted sound in thrall to the eternal groove.

The duo’s second album, last year’s Heartbroke Motel saw the duo building upon the shimmering noir-ish textures of their debut, 2020’s Nightwalk but while pushing the band’s sound into new directions with the material drawing from some eclectic influences like David Lynch, MF DOOM and 60s reggae. The result is an album that saw the Pittsburgh-based duo carving out nocturnal soundscapes for the alienated and broken-hearted.

The duo’s latest single “Sandinista Smile” is a collaboration with Ames Harding & The Mirage. Anchored around a trippy and infectious Tame Impala-like groove, incredibly catchy hooks, swelling strings, glistening synths and skittering beats, the hypnotic production serves as a lush and dreamy bed for Ames Harding’s yearning falsetto. And while being a breezy and summery bop, “Sandinista Smile” as the duo explain is “about letting go, if only for a moment to celebrate the beautiful times with the special ones you love. During these messed up times, that seems more important than ever.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Brighton’s Honeybadger Shares Rousingly Anthemic “Gone Cold”

Brighton-based trio Honeybadger — brothers Joe and Eddy, along with their schoolmate Luca — formed back in 2014. And since then, they’ve quickly established a sound that meshes elements of rock, punk and grunge that’s inspired by Drenge, Them Crooked Vultures, The White Stripes and others.

The Brighton-based trio have taken the UK by storm through live performances on BBC Introducing, BBC Live Lounge and Wyatt Wendel’s The New Rock Show on Planet Rock. Adding to a growing profile, the band has been featured in Clash Magazine, Music Week, Record Of The Day, New Noise and Earmilk. They’ve received airplay on BBC Radio 1’s Future Alternative — and they played a set at last year’s The Alternative Escape portion of The Great Escape.

Building upon a growing profile in the UK — and hopefully elsewhere — the Brighton-based trio’s latest single “Gone Cold” is an ebullient and breakneck Foo Fighters-like ripper built around enormous power chords, thunderous drumming, rousingly anthemic, shout-along-with-beer-raised-in-the-air-worthy hooks and choruses. It’s the sort of song you need to hear live and very loud with several hundred of your sweaty friends and a cold beer or eight.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Montréal’s Wizaard Returns with Languid and Trippy “OMG (son style me désole)”

Montréal-based psych pop outfit Wizaard — currently, Marie Hèléne Coutu and Jean-Nicholas Doss — quickly became mainstays of the French Canadian city’s psych, Anglophone and bilingual music scenes with the release of their first two albums, 2016’s Starfish Buffet and 2019’s Supernatural Mystics while going through a series of lineup changes.

The Montréal-based outfit supported both of those albums with shows and tours with Choses Sauvages, Men I Trust, JOVM mainstays Le Couleur and  Elephant Stone, and American outfit Twin Peaks. Adding to a growing profile, the trio’s remix of Spaceface‘s “Timeshare” has amassed over one-million Spotify streams.

The trio’s third album will be released by Lisbon Lux Records, and the album will be the first album of material written and sung primarily in French. The album reportedly will be “a delicious cocktail of madness, eclecticism and groove,” the band explains. 

Earlier this year, I wrote about “DVD vidéo,” a song anchored around a languid and lysergic groove that brings Tame Impala, L’imperatrice and Pavo Pavo to mind, paired with dreamily coquettish vocals and boom bap-like beats, The result is a song that evokes a remarkably pleasant psilocybin-induced trip. 

The album’s latest single “OMG (son style me désole),” translates into English as “OMG (I’m sorry about his style),” and is anchored around twinkling synth arpeggios, a wobbling bass line and dusty gated reverberated beats and incredibly catchy hooks serving as a lush and dreamy bed for coquettish and ethereal vocals. The result is a song that reminds me a bit of a hook-driven synthesis of JOVM mainstays MUNYA, Kainalu, and Pavo Pavo

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Brazilian-born, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Rafa Mura, initially relocated to Berlin when he was 18 years-old to study Computer Science. And while in school, he built a home studio in his dorm room. After dropping out of college to pursue a music degree, Mura started his own recording project Shimizu, which sees him blending both analog and electronic music, playing most of the instrumentation and then often resampling the material to craft a sound that has been described as a warm hug and as he puts it, “sad songs to dance to,” while being heavily influenced by Brazilian music.

With Shimizu, Mura has collaborated with different artists from across the Berlin scene, including A.K.A. Kelzz, Rosa Landers, Ish and more.

“MinuteSpent” sees the rising Brazilian-born, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist and producer continuing to collaborate with an eclectic collection of artists in the local scene. In this case:

  • Luminiah, a Santa Fe, NM-born, Berlin-based musician and singer/songwriter. A third generation musician and singer/songwriter, the Santa Fe-born, Berlin-based artist grew up singing folk sand the blues with both her father and grandfather. As a solo artist, Luminiah’s work is inspired by the likes of Erykah Badu and Cleo Sol and sees her blending elements of neo-soul, R&B and folk.
  • Charlotte Colace, a Berlin-based Cuban-French neo-soul singer/songwriter, whose work possesses a distinctive rock ‘n’ roll edge. Colace is currently a backing vocalist and percussionist for local act Stella & The Longos and a member of the acclaimed singer/songwriter choir A Song For You. And as a solo artist, her brutally honest and emotionally charged lyrics provide a raw, sensitive and thoughtful perspective on the world.

Sonically “MinuteSpent” is a woozy blend of baile funk and footwork featuring glitchy and jazzy breakbeats paired with glistening Larry Levan-like arpeggiated synths serving as a lush and soulful bed for Luminiah’s and Colace’s yearning and soulful vocals and harmonies. The song manages to capture the blissful yet obsessive emotions of a budding romance, where the time you’ve spent with that special somehow never quite feels sufficient — and you long for them constantly.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: GR1FN Returns with Flirty Club Banger “Nervous”

GR1FN is an emerging and mysterious American-born electronic music producer, who has had a rather busy 2024. Earlier this year, he released “Underneath the Sun,” a Larry Levan-meets-French touch-like banger featuring dense layers of twinkling keys, skittering tweeter and woofer rattling beats and oscillating synths pared with euphoria-inducing hooks and a chopped up, soulful, mantra-like vocal sample. It’s the sort of summery anthem that you’d fully expect to hear rocking clubs from New York to Miami and from Ibiza to London and everywhere else in between.

.The emerging producer’s latest single “Nervous” is a flirty and summery house music track featuring glistening synth arpeggios, skittering, tweeter and woofer railing beats, a sultry and yearning vocal sample paired with some remarkably catchy hooks. It shouldn’t be surprising that this one has been receiving love in local clubs, because it’s an infectiously fun banger.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Brooklyn’s DAD Shares Furious and Sludgy “Snake Handshake”

Brooklyn-based outfit DAD — James Watson (vocals), Jon Murphy (guitar), David Flick (bass) and Jeremy Duvall (drums) — specialize in a doom-drenched, sludge metal sound and lyrical approach that draws from an eclectic array of acts that include Slayer, The Jesus Lizard and Big Black among others.

“Snake Handshake,” the Brooklyn-based outfit’s second release this year through Fear Icon Records sees the band’s sound shifting from full-tilt face melt rippers to a furious and sludgier wall of sound paired with thunderously pummeling drumming and Watson’s Henry Rollins-like howls. At its core, the song expresses the sort of righteous and expected distrust of handshake-driven business deals, rooted in the shadiness of corporate types — in all industries. But interestingly, the song’s narrator invites doubts into his own integrity. Perhaps it’s all just bullshit, huh?

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Formed back in 2016, the Austin-based outfit Superfónicos — Jaime Ospina (vocals, gaita, percussion), Nicolás Sanchez Castro (bass, melodica, vibes backing vocals), Nick Tozzo (Congas, tambor alegre, timbales, percussion), Daniel Sanchez (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Chris “Zumbi” Richards (trombone, bombardino), Evan Marley Hegarty (keys), Erick Bohoroquez (guitar, backing vocals), and Andreas Villegas (guitar, backing vocals) — have specialized in a sound that features elements of Colombian funk, cumbia and Afrobeat, informed by the fact that most of the band’s members have deep roots in Colombia.

While highlight the country’s Caribbean coastal sounds, it is also a celebration of the human spirit, telling stories of the displaced, folkloric tales form the countryside, and the reminder to let go and embrace experiences that are more connected to the earth and our ancestors.

The band has played Austin City Limits Festival twice — in 2018 and 2021. They’ve also shared stages with the likes of Ozomatli, Aterciopelados, Jungle Fire, Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Meridian Brothers, Sudan Archives and Allah-Las.

2018’s Suelta EP was recorded with Black Pumas‘ founder Adrian Quesada, 2019’s Cumbealo EP was record with Spoon‘s Jim Eno, and their full-length debut, the recently released Renaceré was recorded with Grupo Fantasma’s, Caramelo Haze’s and Money Chicha‘s Beto Martinez.

Renaceré translates into English as “I will be reborn” and thematically, the album’s material touches upon rebirth resilience and the cyclical nature of life through the lens of their unique take on Colombian Roots fusion, which owes as much to Africa and the Americas, as it does to Colombia — and the bandmembers’ Colombian heritage. According to the band’s Jamie Ospina, “This record is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit and life. We all went through hard times in the last 4 years but here we are; breathing, singing, dancing and what not.” Nicolás adds, “The cycle of life and the concept of rebirth play heavily into the theme of the record. Many ups and downs happened during this period, for the band and society as a whole, but ultimately we came out of the process stronger, like a blade forged in the flames.”

The album’s recording process spanned several years, beginning just before COVID-19 lockdowns and concluding earlier this year. Most of the album was recorded at Beto Martinez’s Lechehouse Music, where Martinez captured the sounds and textures of Colombia’s Caribbean Coast with gaita flue and tambor alegre. “We also use the Bombardino (Euphonium) on many tunes. It is commonly used in Colombian Cumbia arrangements but is not as common stateside,” the band says. Additional recording took place at Public Hi-Fi with Spoon’s Jim Eno and Electric Deluxe with Aaron Glemboski.

Renaceré latest single “La Verdad” is a lush and strutting bit of psychedelic cumbia anchored around buzzing and twinkilng keys, shuffling rhythms, expressive horn bursts paired with an incredibly catchy hook and chorus. The song’s narrator tells a tale about a juglar (a troubadour) searching for his lost love and losing his mind. Ultimately, the song — and its narrator — suggests that those who are deemed crazy often hold the truth.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Alongside Eric B and as a solo artist, Rakim “The God Emcee” has released seven studio albums during his lengthy and massively influential career. His long-awaited, highly-anticipated,eighth album and first full-length studio album in 15 years, the self-produced G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth) is slated for a July 26, 2024 release through all formats — yes, digital, CD, cassette and 12″ and 7″ vinyl through www.rakimpresents.com in collaboration with Holy Toledo Productions, Compound Interest Entertainment, RRC Music and 1332 Records.

The album will feature guest spots and collaborations with the late Nipsey Hustle, DMX and Prodigy, as well as B.G., Method Man, 38 Spesh, Kurupt, Masta Killa, Skyzoo, Kool G. Rap, Joell Ortiz, KXNG Crooked, Planet Asia and a lengthy list of others.

G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth)‘s second and latest single “Now Is The Time” sees the legend teaming up with B.G., Hus Kingpin and Compton Menace. Anchored around a menacing Rakim production pairing tweeter and woofer rattling boom bap with an eerily looping, twinkling synth line, the Preemo-like production is roomy enough for Rakim, Hus Kingpin and Compton Menace to trade swaggering and bullying street shit-inspired verses. While capturing Rakim at his most inspired and vital in some time, the song also serves as a reminder that real hip-hop — dope emcee spitting real lyrics over dope and soulful production — is still out there and will always be necessary.

With “Be Ill,” Rakim holds down vocals, production and cuts, and he is joined by Dogg Pound and Wu-Tang contemporaries Kurupt and Masta Killa. “Be Ill” is now available at all DSP’s. The video for “Be Ill” will be released on 6-21.24 at 9am EST and will be premiered by Rolling Stone at 8 am EST. The video provides the viewer a golden-era esque time capsule for when all you needed to showcase your skills were two turntables and a microphone. Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa all shine in their very unique ways throughout the Rakim produced soundscape, and it serves as a further reminder that it was Rakim’s production that brought to life previous classics such as “Juice” (Know The Ledge), “Don’t Sweat The Technique,” “Paid In Full,” and so many others.

Now Is The Time (feat. B.G., Hus Kingpin & Compton Menace),” taken from his first new project in 15-years, G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth).

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

2024 has been a busy year for the wildly prolific Brighton-based producer, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natty Reeves: With his instrumental hip-hop project Astairé, Reeves released the Greener Days EP, a tastefully seamless blend of hip-hop sensibilities with Bossa nova tinged passages that was anchored around dexterous improvisation. Reeves is also a highly sought-after collaborator in his own right, and he has collaborated with the likes of Matt Wilde, Simon Jefferis and Ahbi The Nomad along with a growing a list of others. 

The Brighton-based producer and artist has also been working on his forthcoming EP Mist Over Water. The EP which is slated for a September 25, 2024 release through DeepMatter Records is the first bit of material Reeves has released under his own name in a few years. Informed by the songwriting discipline of Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Mist Over Water reportedly sees the Reeves crafting a sound that’s stripped back and raw, with Spanish guitar and Reeves’ vocals at the center. Thematically, the material sees the British artist reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inward to grow — without putting too much pressure on each moment. 

“I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life,” Reeves explains. “Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is – coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”

Last month, I wrote about Mist Over Water single “Bloom,” a gently swaying, slightly jazzier take on Bossa nova anchored around Bossa nova/Brazilian percussion, serene and glistening acoustic guitar, Reeves’ dreamily meditative yet upbeat delivery and warm, soulful trumpet from longtime collaborator and friend Jackson Mathod. The song encourages listeners to be open to new opportunities and to boldly take leaps of faith because things will work out how they’re meant to work out — but also because you never want to live a life in which you’ll left wondering “what if?” 

“This was the first song I made for this project, and I think it sets the tone for the rest of the EP,” Reeves says of the single. “I want to give a massive thanks to my good friend Jackson Mathod for playing horns on this – I’ve always admired his playing and he really gave this track a lift!”

Mist Over Water‘s latest single “Why Are You?” continues a run of subtly jazzier Bossa nova tunes anchored around serenely glistening acoustic guitar, shuffling Brazilian percussion, a supple bass line and gently swaying flute lines from Ruta Sipola serving as a lush and dreamy bed for Reeves’ breezily meditative delivery singing lyrics exploring the odd push and pull of manipulation within a relationship.

The song’s narrator describes the growing sense of not seeing his relationship clearly and of feeling played, but not knowing when or how it happened. And at one point, the narrator admits — somewhat bitterly — that he feels as though he’s “being used as a weapon.” The song capture the uneasy push and pull of a seemingly dysfunctional relationship with an uncannily lived-in specificity.




Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: HiFi Sean and David McAlmont Team Up on Breezily Expansive, Hook-Driven “Sun Come Up”

British duo HiFi Sean and David McAlmont features two of the UK’s most accomplished songwriters, artists and producers:

Back in the 90s, singer/songwriter, musician and producer HiFi Sean had a stint with Scottish alt-rock outfit The Soup Dragons. In the States they were best known for “Divine Thing,” a song that peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Modern Rock chart. Famously, the video “Divine Thing” was filmed over the course of two days here in New York, and was later nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for best video; but it lost out to Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Since his stint with The Soup Dragons, HiFi Sean has collaborated with the likes of Yoko Ono, Crystal Waters, Bootsy Collins and a list of others.

David McAlmont is a singer/songwriter, musician and producer, who’s best known as a frequent collaborator with Bernard Butler.

As HiFi Sean and David Mcalmont, the accomplished Brits have teamed up to to create a unique take on alternative pop through the release of a handful of singles and their full-length debut, last year’s Happy Ending.

Building upon a growing profile, the duo’s sophomore album Daylight is slated for an August 16, 2024 release. For the duo, the 12-song album represents a significant moment in their partnership: The album was produced in a remarkable burst of collaborative energy with both artists channeling and sharing the momentum throughout. Thematically, the album’s material celebrates, expresses and explores the bright and vivid colors of summer.

Daylight‘s latest single “Sun Come Up” is a breezily euphoric yet wistfully nostalgic bit of synth pop that seeming channels a synthesis of Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Tears for Tears and A Flock of Seagulls‘ “I Ran (So Far Away)” but while anchored in an expansive song structure, a relentless motorik groove and the pair’s uncanny knack for a razor sharp, remarkably catchy hooks.