The Jaguar Club

Just because they’re a three-piece from that [cough] dry bed of music known as Brooklyn, NY — ergo trendy — it doesn’t mean a free pass but, luckily, this band’s steady beats and mean ’80s streak are actually pretty good. Take the New Order-ish "Beautiful House,” which mirrors that earlier band’s stark production and skittery hi-hats perfectly, but that shouldn’t be a deterrence because it goes the extra mile due to William Popadic’s evocative vocals, which push things to a fever pitch by the end. "World Gone By” is another tune that’s a study in emulation, but with enough personality to make it theirs. It’s hard to listen to this without thinking of another time and place, but the confidence of the band and the sheer catchiness of the songs gloss over that fact. Really, just forget that voice in the back of your head and enjoy the ride.