New Age Music Is Here [LP]

With , the anonymous trio arrive seemingly out of nowhere to become one of 's most inventive bands. Of course, having no image at all is as much of a conscious -- and attention-getting -- choice as having a highly cultivated one, but hiding the band's identity does put the focus entirely on the music. Fortunately, it holds up to the scrutiny: Bookended by cryptic tracks filled with murmured vocals and simmering synths, over the course of the album ' style settles into a mix of hard-hitting beats, electronic washes, and emotive vocals. It's a sound with 's stark, futuristic alt-R&B, 's lush harmonies, and ' dour sexuality -- especially on the pulsing "Motion" -- link the trio to the rest of the music world. However, already rival their better-known contemporaries; it's easy to hear why some thought the band was the secret project of an already established artist. 's first third is among the finest stretch of songs on any 2014 album: "Knight Takes Rook" defines ' moody, high stakes electro-pop with towering, tumbling drums and subtly insistent keyboards. "Newly Thrown" pushes forward on kinetic percussion and vocals that add some warmth to the album's chilly atmosphere. Meanwhile, "Stateless Wonder" makes the most of their anonymity, with confessions "I'm not getting younger/I'm not feeling any older/So where have I gone?" conveying ambiguity with a riveting directness that distills their approach perfectly. The rest of is nearly as striking, turning life's gray areas and awkward pauses into utterly compelling music. Mixed by -- the only name associated with the entire project -- the album's impressionistic sound design and arrangements add to its depth, whether on the fascinating interplay on "Authenticity Machine" or "I Wanna"'s suffocating drums. Elsewhere, "Deckard"'s alien funk and the stately, poignant "Call and Response, With Morals" show the band has even more range than expected. Proving there's a difference between anonymous and faceless, is an exciting introduction to ' world -- or at least, as much of it as they're willing to share. ~ Heather Phares