The Naked and Famous? Music For A Streaking Charlie Sheen

If Charlie Sheen were to spend his Monday morning streaking down Venice Boulevard, do you think he’d at least be carrying an iPod? It would be absurd of him to do otherwise, right? The real question is what he would listen to. Phil Collins? Snoop Dogg? Pavarotti? No. Charlie Sheen is winning. He would be hip to new, barely discovered music that stems from even the farthest reaches of the globe. Based on my understanding, tiger blood must ensure an overwhelming knowledge of rising talent. If it doesn’t, then our collective faith in Sheen could be perilously shaken, and that would prove the final straw in the undoing of 21st Century society. So we must believe Charlie would select an upcoming band from somewhere like New Zealand with enough energy to spur on his nude athleticism. Might that band be The Naked and Famous? Let’s find out.

The Kiwi quintet’s debut LP picks up that electro-pop ball MGMT dropped with Congratulations, but they’re playing with more energy than those Brooklyn neu-hippies ever did. Passive Me, Aggressive You will remind you of how fun electro was in 2008, and the joy never relents from start to finish as The Naked and Famous mix a wide berth of influences and emotions into a tightly crafted and impressive first full-length. Vocalists Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith alternate leads like The xx did so effectively, but never as sullenly. Even when the band quiets down (“The Sun,” “No Way”), their sound doesn’t lose any optimism; everything is sonic rays of sunshine.

What’s off-putting about this debut is it’s length; thirteen tracks of non-stop fuzz makes for a boring full listen. There’s little in the way of dynamics for Passive Me, Aggressive You as a whole, where the focus must have been placed on individual songs instead. Tunes like “Spank” and “Young Blood” move up and down; others stay dynamically consistent within themselves to great effect. Altogether, the record occasionally lags, a problem that doesn’t damn a band so much as levels them. They are, after all, a young band with an obvious amount of bristling energy, so wait for the restraint and experimentation to come with their second or third effort.

Party music for those who like their parties loud and decidedly 80s-tinged (Charlie Sheen!), Passive Me, Aggressive You will not disappoint. Especially if you party during your morning run.

Free remix of “Punching In A Dream” by TV On The Radio‘s Dave Sitek:

The Naked and Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You (Somewhat Damaged)
Street Date: March 15th
Amazon | Band Website