Album Review: Doubleplusgood

Here They Come, The Birds Of My Youth (Sohitek)

By ROBERT HAM

[ELECTRONIC POP] The air of romantic and erotic longing that presides over Doubleplusgood's latest CD might be hard to breathe in without some effort. This drums-and-electronics duo doesn't push it right to the surface.

Instead, the pair masks it with plenty of glitz, New Wave dance beats and candied melodies that leave a delightfully sticky residue on your fingers. Start peeling back the copious layers of computerized wobbles and Andy Nelson's breakbeats and you'll start to catch glimpses of the cracked heart that lies at the core of the group's sound.

For all you can pick up, though, singer Erik Carlson sounds like he wants to give away only pieces of the story. Lyrics get lost in the fray of synthesized sounds. Just as you start to track the tale he spins on the dubsteppy "Something Else"—"You came along just a man without a story/ I thought it wrong to put out if you don't know me"—he swallows the last part of the verse.

Does Carlson want you to fill in your own woeful thoughts or pang of regrets into the mix? Or is he just expecting you to ignore the beats and spend repeated listens trying to nail down the lyrics? This remains a mystery.

Not that you need to know every little detail to enjoy this album. Let Doubleplusgood wallow; just grab the partner of your choice and hit the dance floor.

SEE IT: Doubleplusgood plays Saturday, Aug. 27, at Doug Fir, with XDS and Wild Ones. $5. 21+.

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