Dope Boy Magick

Po Po have been called the black sheep of Diplo's Mad Decent label, and it's easy to hear why on the outfit's debut album Dope Boy Magick. Led by Zeb Malik and his brother Shoaib, the group makes an eclectic mix of driving rock equally influenced by hip-hop and the Maliks' Pakistani Muslim heritage. Given the rest of Mad Decent's roster, Po Po's mix of droning guitars and lo-fi electronics sounds all the more defiant, and "Final Fight," which bridges surging riffs, a surfy solo, and the Muslim call to prayer, offers a melting pot of sounds that defy easy classification but feel uniquely American. Likewise, "Let's Get Away"'s keyboards nod to M83 and Van Halen's "Jump" in their ecstatic soar; "About U Boy" shows a flair for surly garage rock that echoes the Eagles of Death Metal; and "Bummer Summer" pits bubblegum punk chords against winding vocals that show how effortless and pervasive Middle Eastern influences are in Po Po's music. Elsewhere, the Maliks drift into an opiate haze on "U Remind Me" and "Teen Dreamz," both of which open another, entirely different direction for their sound. Po Po takes on more ideas on Dope Boy Magick than many indie acts explore during their entire careers, and their new perspectives on familiar sounds are too intriguing to dismiss.