Displaced

Although formed in Brooklyn and now based in San Diego, the band owes an awful lot more to Boston than either of those cities, specifically for the Pixies. This duo of bassist Jen Jansen and guitarist Simon Mandel, who share and trade off vocal duties often within one song, has a sound that's a ringer for Bossanova-era Pixies. The similarities don't end at the Kim Deal/Frank Black-isms, they extend all the way through to the live-sounding hollow production and unconventional chord structures. It's uncanny, really. And while the songs lack in true originality, as Pixies rip-offs go, this disc is incredibly loyal. If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, the Displaced should probably be made aware of local stalking laws, since this goes way beyond flattery and into a full-fledged crush.