It's been two years since the last album from D.C.'s Bottled Up, and in the interim it's clear that the group's been clearly working on an expansion of its already broad sound. Grand Bizarre, out as of Friday, reveals debts owed to New Wave pioneers, and a continuing willingness to defy expectations of what a D.C. band can sound like. I credit multi-instrumentalist and singer Nikhil Rao for leading the drive there.
"Levitate" and "Heart & Soul" are bright, inventive spins on the kind of thing Human League and O.M.D. once cranked out, while the more interesting "Simple Things" adds a glistening sheen to the electro-pop. If one thinks of This is Hardcore-era Pulp when playing a few of these cuts, I think the musicians would take that as a compliment. "Seeker" and "Livid Moods" add in a funk layer to the synth-pop with less than stellar results, though closer "Midnight Star" is superb. The track, a throwback to The Style Council and Bananarama, is exactly how to do this sort of thing and have it still feel fairly fresh.
While Bottled Up have traded the Bowie-isms of their earlier record for keyboard-based Eighties alt-rock, the results are a bit uneven. Still, taken on a track-by-track basis, most of Grand Bizarre is really solid, fun, and smart. Certainly Bottled Up get points simply for broadening their own palette, and refusing to be limited in their approach. I'd rather hear them take a few bold stylistic chances, then hear a few other safer bands in this city.
Grand Bizarre by Bottled Up is out now.