Thieves Like Us

Two years after appearing online, Parisian-based trio Thieves Like Us finally give their excellent debut album a North American release. Comprised of two Swedes and an American who met in Berlin and conceived their music all over the world, Thieves Like Us use the various environments that have surrounded them to their advantage. They scoop up the Balearic/dub disco vibe of acts like Sweden's Studio, use the beats of U.S. hip-hop, the cold chill of Germany's electronic history and the filter house of Paris for a collage that imagines what New Order's Movement would sound like were it 30 years younger. With a distinct awareness for the effectiveness of hooks, Play Music is the product of pop music but disguised as a record designed for those who still have a drop of energy before the comedown hits. They have a bona fide anthem in "Drugs In My Body," one of the most disorienting love songs and best playground choruses ever written. But Play Music is the complete package, with a resounding desire to keep you locked in with misshapen melodies and distorted emotion. Even two years after its debut, it still sounds freshly squeezed, without any indication of going sour any time soon.