Plastik Joy

Late, late night; you could crash and sacrifice half of tomorrow or inch towards dawn and embrace the softer focus and giddiness that comes along with it. Italy's Cristiano Nicolini and Iceland's Fannar Ásgrímsson capture the sparkling pivot of these moments on their debut album. Their electronics are the sizzles and fidgeting of too much neon reflecting on wet asphalt, while the guitars and bass lines hint at after-hours parties down basement bar steps. A little more agitated than the Album Leaf and a little less sadly melodic than Electric President, Plastik Joy still slip'n'slide between electronic and indie rock tropes. The duo, who met in Barcelona while studying digital audio, manage to work in enough variety to keep their youthful exuberance from incurring weightlessness. The somnolent pace dominates but turns from smoky electro-jazz ("Problem With Humans") to watery post-rock ("63"). Fewer textures and more content might turn them into true powerhouses, if they get a little more sleep.