Blackstrap

With a commanding amount of fuzz and buzz, Blackstrap offer all the pining "ah"'s and dense rhythmic fogs any shoegazer fan could hope for. Heavy on lusty male-female harmonies, ominous guitars and highly-calculated pop beats, the Swedish quintet makes it clear they know their Jesus and Mary Chain, MBV and Lost In Translation soundtrack. But beneath the idolatry are refined intricacies that give the band a compelling boost, such as Maria Linden's dreamy pipes on "Still Sore" and the floating slide guitar on "Take Your Time."