For a collective that does as much remix work as it does, the
Greenskeepers sound an awful lot like a rock & roll band. And not just a rock & roll band, but a '80s rock & roll band -- on their latest album, the lead track sounds an awful lot like a
Devo outtake, while "Bedtime" channels
Talking Heads to an almost creepy extent, and "15 Minutes" sounds almost like
the Cure with
Ian Curtis on guest vocals. And yes, that's all a compliment. Electronica is nice and everything, but when a band shows itself to be equally adept at crafting deep electro grooves and writing worthwhile songs, that's pretty impressive. Other highlights on the program include the synth-poppy "A Week Ago" and the charmingly silly "Love Lobotomy," which sounds something like a collaboration between
Blondie and
Kraftwerk, if you can imagine that. The package comes with a bonus disc: a continuous DJ mix by the
Greenskeepers' "electro-percussionist"
James Curd featuring deep house remixes of
Greenskeepers tracks by a variety of producers and DJs, along with selected cuts by colleagues like One Fingered Pocket, Tracey Cooper and
East Coast Boogiemen. Recommended.