Quirky electropop nuggets sprinkle shimmering notes over simple, looped beats, topped off with the largely incomprehensible ramblings of Diana Nicoletti.

Eltro
Velodrome
(Absolutely Kosher)

Hailing from the City of Brotherly Love, this four-piece sounds like what might happen if Sonic Youth broke out the Casios, put purple daisies in their hair, and let Kim Gordon sing

more. Or maybe they sound like Cranes' crazy cousins holed up in the back of the world's last Radio Shack. Eltro, whose debut, Information Changer will be re-released later this year, largely vacillate between two tacts. Their primary concern is with quirky, little electropop nuggets such as "Three Gorges, Damn" which sprinkle delicate, fleeting globs of shimmering notes over simple, looped beats, and top it off with the subconscious, largely incomprehensible ramblings of Diana Nicoletti.

Their other approach, gorgeously displayed on Velodrome's opening track, "Some Vital Function," is to conjure up expansive washes of smeared electrons and frappéd guitar chords to an end which serves as both a stimulant and narcotic. They stumble once, on the clumsy neo-folk of "Before," but they turn things back brilliantly on "Denver International," which could be considered some type of jazz-hop, but should best just be heard and enjoyed. For reference points, take Stereolab, Silver Apples, Broadcast or Bardo Pond, but be sure that Eltro are their own thing, and this Velodrome is its own pretty place. –Scott D. Lewis

 

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7