Clean, cool electropop. I think Matthew Dear took it too far with Black City. Sure, the album had its moments, but Dear seemed to consistently pick style over substance on his 2010 effort. On Headcage, however, the statements aren’t quite as bold, which makes the listening experience all the more enjoyable. Dear takes more chances with his instrumentation and percussion, both of which give him a more human aura. Not bad at all. For fans of Pantha Du Prince, Nicolas Jaar, John Roberts.
Try: 1, 2
FCC: Clean

1) 3:45 * Classic Dear. Bold groove, hushed background vocals makes room for Dear’s characteristic crooning voice. Gritty synthesizers chime in.
2) 3:50 * More playful, bouncy. Distorted percussion and softer vocals. Sounds like everything MGMT ever wanted to do.
3) 3:37 Distant mumbling. Weird and spaced out. Minimalistic underwater grooves.
4) 4:16 Rusty percussion, clattering stuff. Dear’s clean vocals on top of a esoteric foundation.