The debut of an unlikely music duo,
Now! (In a Minute)
introduces the arty synthesizer pop of
David Wrench
and
Evangeline Ling
, who call themselves
audiobooks
. After meeting at the party of a mutual friend,
Ling
, a then-art student who speak-sings lead on the album, invited herself over to check out
Wrench
's studio. A solo artist in his own right best known for his work as a producer/engineer,
(
David Byrne
,
FKA Twigs
) was wrapping up the installation of a modular synth set-up at the time. The two began improvising songs, liked when they heard, found they worked quickly together, and continued to rendezvous at his London studio. Conspicuously impromptu and unbridled in nature, especially for -- broadly speaking -- new wave/post-punk revivalism (they quote
the Human League
on the record), the album's recording process won't surprise many upon hearing it. Enjoyment of the slapdash nature of its songs depends largely on how willing listeners are to loosen ties or kick off heels and go along for the ride. Among the catchier, more structured songs included are the disco-y "Hot Salt," fiercer "Dance Your Life Away," and album highlight "Friends in the Bubblebath," a high-drama club track in which
proactively refuses advances. Other entries include the softer, midtempo "Period Talk" and the raging, cacophonous "Dealing with Hoarders," a song inspired by discovering a shared peeve about cohabitants. Several tracks, including "Call of Duty Free" and "Grandma Jimmy," are spoken word sketches accompanied by atmospheric synths and beats that dramatize
's recollections. With 13 tracks, some of which combine elements of the above or function more as playful sound experiments (the coughing, squeaking "Spooky Algorithms"), the album is charmingly pretentious, confounding, and a good time all at once. Closer "Pebbles" is the only song here borrowed from their debut EP,
Gothenburg
, released six months earlier. ~ Marcy Donelson