The Love§trange
I Liked It, No I Didn’t
Self-Released
Street: 02.13
The Love§trange = Interpol + Elf Power

If you take psychedelics with a teaspoon of sugar, The Love§trange might be for you. With a prudent balance of retro fuzz, spacey synth and pop sensibilities, they manage to bring some new color and style to the scene. The tracks have a familiar sound, but with a careful mix of buzz, distortion and solid production, they have a raw yet polished feel that’s becoming rarer to find. “Your Conviction” is a bouncy little ear-bug that you’ll sing while you sleep. Vocals on “Little Girl, Little Boy” sway between low-toned Julian Casablancas–style crooning and a delightful, rough, melodic shout. “Loud Sweet Sounds” brings to mind Clouds Taste Metallic–era Flaming Lips, and “Hey Now, People” might make you think of OK Go’s simple, college rock sound. I Liked It is just strange enough for the indie crowd but won’t alienate those with poppy tastes. I didn’t just like it—I loved it (yes, I did). –CJ Morgan