i'm a sucker for strange new wave revival records anyways, but when they veer into vaguely Devo-ish territory i really can't help myself. the warm, pulsating quadra synths and 8-bit arpeggiators used here are offset by the driving bass and the excellent process-heavy baritone vocals, but what really stands out are the fantastic, eminently hummable melodies. love the way Maus uses textures to delineate song sections instead of relying on cadential chord progression tropes. clocking in at under 30 min., the songs rarely overstay their welcome and, though they get progressively grander and dystopian on side B, manage to never quite jump the shark.

let's kill every cop in sight