Low Frequency in Stereo

Name checking a '60s faux-futuristic pre-fab house, this LP's moniker slyly characterizes its sound. Despite what all the space references would have you believe ("Solar System," "Geordie La Forge," etc.), the record is firmly rooted in the earthbound past. Leadoff track "Turnpike" has a well-defined curvature beginning with a muscular riff, adding a Doors-evoking organ and gaining steam incrementally. Like a cad in a well-pressed suit (albeit one with a '60s cut), it hides its roguishness, using smooth psych rock as a front. Similarly, "Geordie La Forge" has shades of the Kinks' "All Day and All Night," though it kicks off with a nod to Trio's "Da Da Da" (seriously). Looking back at various epochs, the disc has a wide range of musical references. Lyrically it has a likewise expansive breadth, heading to the trailer park on "Texas Fox" and up a Philippines volcano on "Mt. Pinatubo." Though far from original, Futuro is an impressively cohesive amalgamation of disparate inspirations. And it invokes Star Trek.