Kaito

Fresh off a touted appearance at South by Southwest, Kaito is a sharp rock quartet hailing from Norwich, England, that combines a ’70s Brit flair for layered dissonance (jagged guitar and pogo bass lines) with catchy pop. From the hypnotic opener, “Enemyline,” I could hear classic influences (Kleenex, Gang of Four, Free Kitten) recycled by singer Nikki Colk, whose girlish vocals are bottled through distortion effects (à la in vogue siren Karen O). But it’s the neurotic, yo-yo-like guitar work of Dave Lake (the man likes sliding!) that makes this music bristle and hum. An entertaining record, Band Red grabs your attention with splattered shouts, explosive dynamics, and bouncy, crystalline punk rhythm born from a noisy No Wave style that—while unoriginal in concept today—is well done here.