Xeno & Oaklander’s fifth album, Topiary, continues exploring the limits of electro-pop, relying this time on heavy dosages of ambient sounds and coordinated mechanical beats. The enthralling female vocals that have characterized their previous recordings are sporadic throughout this album and only appear on the most accessible tracks. Nonetheless, the austere quality of the new recordings and the cryptic concept behind Topiary give the album a promising direction for the Brooklyn band’s future.

RIYL: Lust For Youth, Love Spirals Downwards, Adult., Jane Birkin, and Anything Box.

FCC CLEAN!
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8

1. (4:31) **Marble – Exquisite opener with 1990s synth pop tendencies. Medium tempo.
2. (3:55) *Virtues & Vice – Medium-up beat recording. Nice vocals. Minimal elements. Cold.
3. (3:54) Baroque – Medium tempo track constructed around an early 1990s techno beat and atmospheric rhythms. Feels religious.
4. (3:33) Topiary – Instrumental ambient piece. Some melody involved.
5. (3:31) **Palms – Medium-up tempo. Part early industrial, part 1990s darkwave. Killer synth riff. Addictive.
6. (4:22) *Chevron – Instrumental track saturated with mechanical sounds. Upbeat. Late 1980s Skinny Puppy inspired.
7. (2:30) *Chimera – 21st century EDM inspired recording. Upbeat. Slow intro.
8. (4:28) *Worlding Worlds – Medium tempo track influenced by Depechem Mode’s Black Celebration. Drums and vocals.
9. (2:54) Topiary II – Another ambient instrumental track. Quiet demeanor.