February 10, 2012

Somewhere in the haze between the Strokes and the Postal Service lies Montreal’s Winter Gloves. All Red, their sophomore album,blends Nintendo-inspired bloops and beeps with heavy bass grooves and Spoon-styled guitar. More earnest than the tongue-in-cheek antics of Chromeo and more concise than the lengthy jams of LCD Soundsystem, All Red is a well-crafted bundle of dance-pop tunes.  Unlike the harsh, compressed sounds emanating from many dance bands, All Red is mixed to sound pleasant. From the funky, falsetto whispered “Use Your Lips” to The Postal Service mimicry on “Tooth Fairy,” Winter Gloves play nothing but soft tones. While All Red’s understated presence is relaxing, tracks like “Plastic Slides” are full of lighthearted energy without ever sounding harsh. All Red’s indie rock and electronic musings aren’t anything new, but while Winter Gloves play music you’ve probably heard over and over, rarely is it done this well. If you can forgive the fact that these songs would sound perfect over a Toyota Prius commercial, than All Red might just become your soundtrack for the coming autumn.