Sisters Piper and Skylar Kaplan, age 23 and 16, weren't even a gleam in their father's eye when C86 was released. Yet they have an odd affinity for new wave and early indie — skewed through the prism of Red Wave.
As Puro Instinct, they cop the sound and persona of cold war era Russian rock, complete with gauzy cheesecake cover art. Whether genius or gimmick, it's a bold direction for the duo formerly known as Pearl Harbor.
Their full length debut, Headbangers In Ecstasy, was released earlier this year on noted California indie Mexican Summer. Filled with random static-laden radio vignettes, it's like a woozy mixtape from your high school Russian penpal.
The album's standout track and first single is "Stilyagi," featuring freak-folk hero Ariel Pink. Check he and the girls out in this appropriately vintage looking video:
"Slivers Of You" is a personal favorite, with jangly guitar and hauntingly sweet harmonies:
You can hear bits of Lush, The Cure and My Bloody Valentine at times, but Puro Instinct's hazy pop is unto itself. It's a pastiche of comforting bits of the past — kind of like this unofficial video for "Luv Goon":
Makes you ready to spring forward this weekend, right? Or not.
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