After a crazy number of hours in the studio, pushing back the release date a few times, and getting crowds worked up with remixes of "Monster Hospital" and "Chewing Gum," MSTRKRFT churns out a generally repetitive, lackluster knob-twisting affair. Though prime party music, it feels like one of those parties hosted by someone who doesn't realize the party fizzled out hours before. That said, in a single dose
The Looks can kill, but stick a couple of these tracks in a shuffled playlist and enjoy the handclap-happy, synth-soaked 4/4 beats.
MSTRKRFT proves its production skills by turning indie, rock, and pop into uniquely ravey dance-floor thumpers that are both dance-rock now and nostalgically '90s house. And that these dirty-happy little monsters spring from the heads of noisy melody-makers Jesse Keeler (Death From Above 1979) and the band's producer, Al-P (Al Puodziukas), makes it ever the more enjoyable -- if for nothing but novelty and the possibility of getting some kid's faux-hawk hairline sweating.