Mannequin Makeout

There is nothing un-sexy about Mannequin Makeout. Its five-song self-titled EP is a coed fete of lusty hormones and throbbing erratic heartbeats. Even in the disc's opening lines, "You know but you won't show anymore/I know I love you but I don't show it anymore," there is a Portishead-like sensuality in vocalist Brittany Gould's yowl that makes faltering relationships feel desperately romantic. Gould and her mates -- keyboardist Inbar Kishoni, bassist Gregory Schoonmaker, guitarist Nathaniel Wojtalik and drummer Lucas Johannes -- break down stuffy electro-pop into simplistic Casiotone hooks and wayward bass lines. With its handsome, hand-sewn cover, the EP is DIY art school at its best; its musical aesthetic is in line with such dance-punk acts as the Gossip and the Blow, layered with the experimental qualities of Gang Gang Dance. Clocking in at a very short twelve and a half minutes, Mannequin Makeout rushes through and climaxes abruptly like an unexpected wet dream. Kiss up.