As Autre Ne Veut did with his mind-blowing sophomore outing Anxiety in 2013, Reptar have a way of taking dozens of seemingly disparate sounds, throwing them together, and coming up with some wildly inventive and fun pop tunes. Such is especially the case with Lurid Glow, Reptar’s second studio LP, which is described as “indie-electro-guitar-pop-weirdness” in its press materials. That description isn’t far off. There’s a definite goofiness to this music — after all, a band doesn’t name themselves after a Rugrats character without a bit of tongue in cheek — but it’s that very goofiness that gives a little levity to the at times tricky experimentation. On paper, a track like “Cable” appears nothing more than ’80s pastiche; filtered through the personality of Reptar, “Cable” becomes something best described as ’80s workout video music from hell — in a good way, of course. With a Zappa-esque approach to pop music and its possibilities, Lurid Glow stands out amidst the early year crop of releases.
This music isn’t without its dark side, however. Guitarist and vocalist Graham Ulicny tells PopMatters about Lurid Glow, “I think the songs on this album all have a very bleak undertone to their pop exterior, like tar bubbling out from under a manicured lawn or blood in an above ground swimming pool.”
Lurid Glow is out on 31 March via Joyful Noise.
Upcoming Reptars tour dates:
03.27 // Athens, GA @ Slingshot Music Festival
04.01 // Raleigh, NC @ King’s Barcade
04.02 // Washington DC, DC @ U Street Music Hall
04.03 // Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar
04.04 // Boston, MA @ Great Scott
04.07 // Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
04.08 // Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi (Presented by Joyful Noise)
04.09 // Chicago, IL @ Abbey Pub
04.10 // Madison, WI @ The Frequency
04.11 // Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
04.12 // Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
04.14 // Omaha, NE @ Slow Down
04.16 // Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
04.17 // Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
04.18 // Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
04.19 // Boise, ID @ Neurolux
04.21 // Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
04.22 // Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
04.24 // San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
04.25 // Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
04.26 // San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
04.27 // Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
04.29 // Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
04.30 // El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
05.01 // Dallas, TX @ Sons of Hermann Hall
05.02 // Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Jr.
05.03 // Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Downstairs
05.09 // Tampa, FL @ Big Guava Music Festival
05.14 // Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
05.15 // Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
05.16 // Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
06.06 // Ozark, AR @ Wakarusa Music Festival