Texas Platters

Candi & the Strangers

Name referencing Warhol starlet Candy Darling, a Fleetwood Mac-esque lineup, and a recent cover of the Cars' "Moving in Stereo" stock the cookie jar of local dream-weavers Candi & the Strangers. The Austin quintet – couples John and Samantha Constant and Angie and Greg Rose, plus ubiquitous producer Erik Wofford – shoots for the stars on its sophomore LP, charting Madonna ("Children of the Tone"), Stereolab ("Glide"), and a not-so-coincidental transition of "Velvet" into "Nico Regrets." Samantha Constant's voice is more inviting and light than the German singer's, but "Nico" nevertheless sounds like something you could whirl around Studio 54. Tempos stay consistent, so it's easy to nod off to the heavy-lidded title track, but the mix of Moog, organ, vibraphonette, and omnichord come together under Wofford's sway, never mirroring the hippy-dippy cover art. Fun night out as long as you're on the right stuff.