The new album from Welsh trio Islet, Eyelet, drops on Fire Records tomorrow and it is one of yet a multitude of releases lately that seems to owe a debt to Stereolab and Broadcast. That said, the tunes here are inventive and distinctive enough that an easy comparison like that in the course of a review might be lazy writing on my part. It's that the vibe here is one you will find familiar, and one which remains hard to describe.
"Caterpillar" percolates and pops, but "Good Grief" really crackles. Coasting on waves of melodic bliss, the song recalls Broadcast, of course, but also Can in the incorporation of multiple rhythmic textures. Elsewhere, "Geese" bounces with a nice airiness, while the bright "Florist" reminded me of Eighties synth-pop from quarters as diverse as Fad Gadget and The Human League. And while lots of what's here on Eyelet skirts around the riskier side of the spectrum, "No Host" and "Moon" suggest that Islet are capable of expanding their sound and crafting material that's borderline symphonic. A judicious use of samples and a good sense of what makes a good hook elevate this album above that of peers attempting similar genre experiments.
Eyelet is out tomorrow via Fire Records.
More details on Islet from the band's official Facebook page.