Butterfly Bones Xoxo

It's easy to be incredulous for the first minute of Butterfly Bones' new EP, but once singer Reese Donahue delivers the opening line --"we know we're wrong/and we're gonna get it away with it"--it's hard not to be sold. With Pretty Feelings, this Bay Area quartet delivers their unapologetic pop with one hand on the laptop keyboard, a tongue pressed firmly in the cheek, and a booty that's ready to get groovy on the dance floor. The computer generated beats, are-you-kidding-me synth riffs, and laser noises transcend the getting-staler-by-the-day synth-pop genre with a swagger and attitude other pop bands are either too cute or too cool to strut. Not only is it useless to resist their charismatic call to dance, but the group is also right there to let you know why: "cause we're strong, charmin g, indelible, and elegant."

Pretty Feelings is a pronounced creative shift from their earlier spacey lo-fi psychedelic pop of earlier efforts, and their live shows have transformed step by step from quiet shoegazing fests to foot-stomping, sing-along dance parties. With only a couple years under their belts, perhaps the most fascinating thing about Butterfly Bones is where they might go next. While some songs are stronger than others on this EP they show they have the musicianship, songwriting ability, and confidence to do some interesting things.

For some, this is the sound of sunshine: gleeful synths, featherlight melodies, no-fuss rhythms, and laidback tempos for dancing when it's too hot to dance. More specifically, it's all about the attitude of those ubiquitous electronics - smooth, smiling, just happy to be there. In five songs and 22 minutes, Bay Area newcomers Butterfly Bones drop the soundtrack to your Indian summer - East Bay Express