Funs Cool is the winsomely subversive debut by New York indie pop act
the Prettiots. On paper and even at first blush, the sunny melodies and ironic lyrics of ukulele-playing frontwoman Kay Kasparhauser and bassist Lulu Landolfi seem a little too cute to digest, but beneath the surface of tracks like "Suicide Hotline" and "Anyways" are darker undertones that reveal
the Prettiots to be more than just a hip gimmick. Sure, they sing bright little odes to odd leading men like Law & Order detective Elliot Stabler ("Stabler") and actor
Klaus Kinski ("Kiss Me Kinski"), and their unfairly pretty cover of
the Misfits classic "Skulls" is straight-up novelty, but Kasparhauser's warm voice and keen wit are generally enough to carry the album. A charismatic showcase at 2015's SXSW festival helped
the Prettiots win over British indie powerhouse Rough Trade, and the label's increased production budget helped put a much-needed shine on their early tracks, which suffered from a ramshackle, lo-fi patina that worked against them. The leftover punk scuzz mixed well with the more robust makeover, resulting in a surprisingly beefy sound given the limited instrumentation of uke, bass, and drums. Songs like "18 Wheeler" and the relationship laundry list "Boys (That I Dated in High School)" are surprising winners on an album that feels like it probably should be written off. ~ Timothy Monger