Portlandâs Reptaliens| caught the attention of Captured Tracks before theyâd even dropped an official release, and now the Brooklyn record labelâs putting out their debut LP, FM-2030. The albumâs named after transhumanist author and philosopher FM-2030, though itâs not quite as unconventional as his teachings.
Led by husband-wife duo Cole and Bambi Browning, Reptaliensâ live sets include guitarist Julian Kowalski, drummer Tyler Vergian (Lola Buzzkill, Dim Wit), and synth player Bryson Hansen (Bryson Cone, Fog Father). Together they make charming, airy, lo-fi pop music.
Opening track â29 Palmsâ kicks off FM-2030 with tuneful synth and Bambiâs angelic vocals, which bring honey to even the saddest lyricsâin this case, about being alone in a new city. Same goes for â666 Bus,â where the rather macabre lines âMaybe Iâll get hit by a bus while I was dreaminâ of falling in love/Or maybe Iâll fall in love and die of a broken heartâ couldnât sound sweeter.
Reptaliensâ tenderness gives them an edge. Certain moments on FM-2030 recall bands like Beach House or Broadcast, especially on âIf You Wantâ and âThese Days,â where rhythmic grooves bubble under Bambiâs instrumental voice.Â
Another standout happens to be one of the first tracks Reptaliens ever released: âNunyaâ is mellow but hypnotizing, flowing dreamily into the latter half of the album. Upon first listen, âForced Entryâ seems like yet another pop delight, but something sinister lurks beneath the surfaceâitâs about a serial killer who breaks into a home and murders a family.
âDreamingâ has a slinky bass line that gives way to the songâs kaleidoscopic groove, before reaching the album closer âUbik.â Itâs short and minimalist in comparison to the rest of FM-2030, but ends the album on a high note.Â
Though Reptaliensâ debut doesnât reinvent the wheel, their take on psychedelic pop with sci-fi influences is an intriguing first glance at a promising new band.