In Bardo

L.A.’s White Arrows are dabblers: with electro-pop, dance rock, and psychotropic freakouts (both modest and bold), the group manipulate vocals just enough to get our attention, drown choruses in bottomless pools of reverb, and aren't above conjuring the occasional spaghetti western guitar or swath of gothic gloom just when you don’t expect it. Frontman Mickey Schiff croons like a soul singer on the steamy “Scream” and on the galloping “Get By," which recalls a '70s action flick. He blends his craggy falsetto with an urgent dance club beat on “We Can’t Ever Die” and adds some gnarly rockist guitar rebellion–an interesting mix. (Old-timers might recall Theater of Hate’s “Do You Believe in the West World?”) “Nobody Cares” slinks along on a fat bassline, twinkling synths, and spare acoustic guitar, with shifting tempos that sneak up on the listener while Schiff’s voice turns aqueous and murky. It’s a stealthy track that sticks. “Can’t Stop Now” hints at cartwheeling Cali grooviness but retains a troubled kind of heart, which is a good way to describe the whole collection.