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Reptar – ‘Lurid Glow’ (album stream) (Premiere)

Reptar writes '80s-indebted indie pop with an a bleak undercurrent, like "blood in an above ground swimming pool."

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