Lemurs

(Ramble Lane)

Flesh for Lulu, anyone? Lemurs’ debut could be one of those unknown acts John Hughes slipped into his movies alongside the Smiths or Thompson Twins; all it’s missing is Molly Ringwald or John Candy. Like a Hughes soundtrack, this 35-minute offering is sleek and stylish but ultimately sacrifices actual tunes for layer upon layer of New Wave and post-punk atmosphere. The Austin quintet’s keen hooks are a dead giveaway that there’s a very good pop band lurking here somewhere, but promising songs such as “Lemon Tree” and “Breaking You Down” grow overburdened by extended instrumental passages. Disco experiment “Berlin” fares better, adding splashes of sticky funk guitar to deliciously Euro-trashy keyboards. The teasing shoegaze melody of “No Net” and Cure-goes-surfing riff of “They Do What They Like” help round the disc’s second half into shape, but even on the bouncy “My Definition,” Lemurs could use a little more definition of their own.

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This article appears in November 17 • 2006.

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