★★★☆☆
Chris Baio is better known for bass-wielding in Vampire Weekend, but has turned his hand to crafting his own take on electronica.
After a two-track EP in 2012, which went straight for the dancefloor, his first album opts for a more varied experience.
‘Brainwash Yyrr Face’ sets the quirky tone and tempo right from the outset, but the unexpected vocals bring the song down and put it straight into house territory. Towards the end of the track, a banjo piece brings the quirk back, hard, and it’s a fitting opening to an album of varied influences and a melting pot of sonics.
Title track ‘The Names’ and ‘Sister Of Pearl’ are probably the closest sounding to his OG band, but with an ’80s feel – the former having an almost Smiths vibe and the latter sounding very Talking Heads. ‘I Was Born In A Marathon’ and ‘Matter’ bring the dance back again, yet essentially this isn’t at all an ‘electronic’ or dance record, but rather a solid pop album taken at with a left-handed hatchet.
Baio wears his heart on his sleeve, as with his influences, and while he might be trying to make you dance, he’s equally created a forward-thinking approach to retro-pop.
