120 Days

Jonas H. Dahl, Arne Stöy Kvalvik, Ådne Meisfjord and Kjetil Ovesen, the four Norwegians who make up 120 Days, are too young to have lived through the nascent era of synthesized rock, and in this case, ignorance is bliss. Rather than put the spotlight on a few key elements, "Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone," the lead track on their self-titled debut for the Vice imprint, emphasizes every pulsing, pounding note as vocalist Meisfjord yaps the English title phrase with a conviction that tells the listener, "I'm pretty sure this actually means something!" The combination can be silly at times, and there's no denying that numbers such as "Sleepwalking" recall just about every band that's stumbled out of Manchester since 1981. Still, the material never devolves into camp, because these guys throw themselves at it with unmistakable sincerity and what sounds an awful lot like a sense of discovery. The men of 120 Days, who'll perform with Ratatat and Despot, aren't doing anything new, but it clearly feels like it to them.