Untogether

On Untogether, Austin/L.A.'s Letting Up Despite Great Faults' sophomore release, dreamy murk-pop gives way to sharper hooks and crackling, disco ball-reflecting rhythms. Though some may deride Untogether for borrowing from a particular early '80s sound, the songs here have enough original flourishes and graceful metamorphoses to give the band its own identity. "Visions" opens up with glassy shards of guitar and keys, but soon a warm, New Order-ish bass melody comes to the forefront; Michael Lee's breathy vocals further soften the brittle tones, which shift to more of a twinkle than a crackle, as the tune slowly morphs into a swirling, dance floor number that helicopters off into night. The New Order bass lines and snapping electronic drums are just too tempting a combo for melancholy alt-pop of this nature (dreamy, dance-y, one optimistic step away from resignation), so their omniscience here is forgivable. And imbuing the entire collection with a palpable bittersweetness, befitting every mood from Monday morning blues to Saturday night abjection, surely charms their intended, youthful audience.