Feats of Engineering

by fantasy of a broken heart

Engrossing and endearingly playful, detailed, heartfelt, and fun. The first half of the record—the run from ‘AFV’ to ‘Ur Heart Stops’—is one of the most perfect batches of songs I’ve heard in a while. (The second half doesn’t maintain the momentum or appeal set by the first, but it’s still a great 36-minute listen.)

I’ve seen comparisons to contemporaries (and bands they’re part of) like Water from Your Eyes and Magdalena Bay, but I hear a lot of early-aughts heart-on-sleeve (even twee!) indie pop in this—bands like Architecture in Helsinki, of Montreal, The Unicorns, Tilly and the Wall.

Some of my favorite lines and moments:

From ‘AFV,’ the lines “I finally got your number / I saved you deep within my phone.”

When ‘Loss’ ends with the final two syllables of these lines punctuated: “I’m sorry for falling asleep without saying / •Good• •Night•.”

From ‘Mega,’ the call-and-response of “I really thought it was you / How the hell would you know?”

In ‘Tapdance 2,’ along with the beat, “You're so technicolor / ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa.”