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Suuns' debut LP is pieced together from a few decent ideas and a lot of bad ones. The Montreal band's worst notion is to use annoying synthesizer sounds — the machines mangle rather than beautify their minimalist electro-rock. "Pie IX" is Zeroes QC's chief offender, making a mess out of spare claps, a wobbly synth line, and flat, electronically manipulated vocals. When a second synthesizer bit jumps in, it's more obnoxious than the first. The song evolves into something better, but nothing justifies that corrupted mix of synth and singing. "Sweet Nothing" feeds off irritating synth as well, but it swiftly develops into entertaining noise. Two ballads, "Up Past the Nursery" and "Fear," demonstrate how disinterested and milquetoast Ben Shemie's drowsy vocal style can get. And the lack of cohesion doesn't help — opener "Armed for Peace" shifts, for no discernible reason, from nails-on-a-chalkboard synth into a segment led by straight-up rock guitar, putting an end to any burgeoning sense of desolation. "Gaze" is a vast, competently assembled joy, and the funereal "Organ Blues" is pretty, but these glimmers can't save Zeroes QC from being a grating, ineffective bore.
SUUNS + LAND OF TALK + LITTLE SCREAM | T.T. the Bear's Place | T.T. the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge | November 3 at 9:00 pm | $10 | 617.492.0082 orwww.ttthebears.com
