Red Plastic

After playing '60s-inspired garage rock with The Cuts and then '70s Midwest–flavored punk with The Time Flys, Oakland guitarist and songwriter Andy Human (a.k.a. Andy Jordan) has finally discovered the '80s. “The Day That Never Ends” opens Red Plastic with retro 606–sounding drum machines pounding alongside icy synthesizers as Human’s doubled vocals sing confectionery pop melodies. It’s reminiscent of demos and outtakes from Speak & Spell–era Depeche Mode until the following “Ice Cream” downshifts into gauzy shades of lo-fi new romanticism. “Toy Man” detours from synth-pop to embrace the demure cool of post-punk guitar pop. Human sings his parts in a lower register here, recalling Peter Murphy’s shadowy vocals in Bauhaus. Although Human’s music has evolved from his longhaired punk beginnings, he’s still penning hilarious hipster anthems. “Kill the Squares” is a slow-burning chillwave ballad where he rails against the uncool through a tangled daisy chain of effects pedals and keyboard patches.