Scorched

Prog rock goes back to the future with a synth-laden big band sound backed by a rock steady beat and some fancy chord changes. But these aren’t your regular ol’ keyboard-driven synthesizers. Electropolis features wired winds: electrumpet and electrosax. No explanation is provided—liner notes are absent—but you can instantly hear what these plugged-in hybrids are capable of throughout this self-titled debut. Think grungy, distorted electric guitar with a vulnerable edge, personalized by breath, lips, and reeds.

–RN