Seemingly out of nowhere comes upstart Italian group
Marxist Love Disco Ensemble
to deliver a sublime record of smart, sunny grooves and impeccable musicianship. Citing a litany of quirky influences from Armenian proto-house pioneer
Hamlet Minassian
to Glaswegian jangle pop faves
Orange Juice
, their eight-song debut plays like a cheeky amalgam of minor European pop subcultures from the 1970s and '80s. An ornate architecture of vintage synths, sizzling guitars, horns, and harpsichords sits atop a whip-tight battery of boogie bass and drums. Across the board, the audio is gorgeous, with a glowing analog tone and plenty of eclectic production nods to Eastern European and Mediterranean disco, a scene which seems to be the band's Mecca. More important, though, is the smart melodic songwriting of bandleader
Paolo Volkov
who infuses the music with heaps of personality and charm. While there are no weak tracks, there are standouts, like the lovely "Brumaire," an indie pop gem whose intricate arrangement is evenly matched by its winsome melody. The elegant space pop banger "Material" is another high point as
Volkov
and his uncredited female co-vocalist weave a mysterious spell amid the song's curious bustle. Echoes of earlier lounge pop fusionists like
Stereolab
and
the High Llamas
can be heard in the band's approach, though there is also a sort of erudite playfulness in their bouncy rhythms, not unlike what
Polo & Pan
bring to the electronic sphere. With more obvious reference points and some commercial ambition,
MLDE
might have come off as a rote exercise in retroism. Instead, they've honored their influences with a winning balance of heart and humor that feels entirely original. Arriving as this record has with little pomp and scant background, it feels like an unexpected gift, and quite a fun one at that. ~ Timothy Monger