On
Year of the Witch
,
HXXS
'
Gavin Neves
and
Jeannie Colleene
sound like a pair of broken androids trying to make sense of a human society that's even more messed-up than they are. One thing's for sure: they're not afraid to stand out from their contemporaries, most of whom blend electronic music and indie rock into smooth '80s-inspired homages. With their clanging, beeping, short-circuiting synths and samples and
Colleene
's glitching wails, they embody and decry the polarization and paranoia of the late 2010s. When
shrieks, "There goes the neighborhood!" on "Full Health," she distills the era's snowballing anxiety; "Last Days of Magic" is equal parts frayed wires and frayed nerves.
is especially potent when
Neves
use their fragmented fury to explore fear and anger in elemental, almost biblical terms. The vicious circle of cruelty on "Year of the Knife" culminates in a witch hunt full of blood and fire, skittering, ritualistic rhythms, and jabbering vocals reminiscent of
Liars
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
. "Their Satanic Majesty's 3rd Request," which features
TV on the Radio
's
Kyp Malone
, is an eerie, soulful standout. On "Learner,"
coos "I just need to get a feel for you" like an outtake from Ex Machina over pneumatic synths that hark back to
the Normal
's "Warm Leatherette." The outlandishness of the duo's music reaches cartoonish heights on "Up South," where shreds of guitar and what sounds like a cross between a saxophone and squeaking balloons soundtrack a thwarted bid for salvation. ~ Heather Phares