A Crime, It’s A Crime

Hilotrons “Lovesuit”

Aside from vaguely resembling the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody),” the most immediately striking thing about “Lovesuit” is its immaculate tone. Every element in the track seems almost freakishly crisp and clean, but somehow the song doesn’t feel uptight. It’s like a state of alert, clear-headed relaxation. The lead singer does seem a bit high-strung at points, but even still, any anxiety in his voice or rigidity in the beat is diluted by the composition’s overall cool, easy-going vibe.

Buy it from Kelp Records.

Women “Shaking Hands”

Taken on its own, Women’s breakthrough song “Black Rice” gives the impression that the band is in the same general post-Zombies/Beach Boys aesthetic zone as the Shins, but the rest of their work comes closer to emulating Sonic Youth’s balance of freaky punk experimentation and gorgeous, winding arpeggiated melodies. “Shaking Hands” is a fine example, cycling through several parts that recall Sonic Youth at various stages in their career, from the grim urban tangles of Sister and Daydream Nation on through the more placid landscapes of A Thousand Leaves and Murray Street. This is not to say that Women lack character — their tones are colder, their beats have more stutter, and their compositions go on more frequent digressions, generally avoiding Sonic Youth’s penchant for neatly symmetrical forms.

Buy it from Jagjaguwar.