“Man Girl” EP In the Valley Below
Dark electro with psych and neo-folk-rock tendencies. The Los Angeles-based duo consists of Angela Gail on keyboards and Jeffery Jacob on guitar. Songs range from brooding and eerie to boisterous and bouncing, always with synth trappings. The EP features four songs by the duo — plus two interesting remixes of the opener, “Peaches.” The first of the two, the Kele Remix, transforms “Peaches” into an excellent, extended dance number.
— Francis

Recommended: 1, 5, 4, 2 (Really, any are good)

1. (4:46) Peaches — Synth folk-rock, with growling guitar and a strong beat throughout. Languid male/female vocals playing off one another in verses, with nice harmonies in the choruses. Horns or synth horns added at places. ****
2. (4:27) Hymnal — Eerie, slow psych-rock. Jangly guitar. Bells. Waves of synth music and effects wash over everything. Electric guitar solo near end. **
3. (4:44) Stand Up — Doubled vocals over a straight-ahead beat. Fuzz bass line and synth bells over a foundation of synth strings.
4. (4:21) Take Me Back — Bongos and drums set up a busy mid-tempo rhythm like a Phil Collins song. Drone-y vocals on verses, resolving into soaring, rich harmonies on choruses. Spacey synth squiggles in lead break. ***
5. (7:06) Peaches (Kele Remix) — High-energy, trip-hop beat completely transforms the feeling of the original. Vocal samples are imaginatively manipulated and mixed to create a club dance track. Great extended version. ****
6. (4:47) Peaches (Omniflux Remix) — Hypnotic synth pulses and sustained synth strings work well with the brooding vocals. Additional rhythm layers, synth bells and handclaps are added beginning with the second verse to brighten the mix.