A Place to Bury Strangers | Onwards to the Wall

CD Reviews

Brite Futures | Dark Past

Turnout (2011)

By MICHAEL MAROTTA | January 24, 2012

3.0 Stars

Oh, the perils of being a buzz band with a catchy name in the aughts. A few years ago, the cutesy teens in Natalie Portman's Shaved Head slid out of Seattle on the hot pink shoulders of robo-bounce kinda-hit "Me + Ur Daughter" and the cheap intrigue of a ridiculous moniker. The carefree electro-pop act eventually shortened its name to the less-than-tongue-rolling NPSH — apparently the actress wasn't pleased with the attention — and got bogged down in some old fashioned Major Label Turmoil (MLT, if you will). They finally parted ways with Warner Bros. last year, and the disconnect from the label also brought a separation from Portman's sexy bald scalp. Now as Brite Futures, their instant-dance-party debut picks up where NPSH's Glistening Pleasure left off — the cheeky lyrics are smarter than you may at first realize (they might even be genius), the nu-disco is as glossy as ever, and the sound bops around squealing synths and bubblegum beats. Lead track "Baby Rain" is a double-dribble electro romper with tradeoff blips and cowbell, whereas "Kissed Her Sister" is an indie-rock frolic that would make Brooklyn blush, with lyrical gems like "She's kinda punk but she likes the Kinks and Queen/Gossip Girl, and fashion magazines." Latest single "Too Young To Kill" is the band's "Stacy's Mom," a potentially classic sugar-pop explosion with a euphoric refrain of "Make it a club hit/We can all dance to/We don't give a shit what it's about." The deft lyrical skills that Brite Futures harness in attempts to appear shallow is a clear strength, and though Dark Past's title is a reflection on their bizarre early career and music-biz battles, the present looks pretty rosy.

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