Forest World

Just as punk rock embraced the stripped-down, authentic aesthetic of rock and roll from a bygone era, the current wave of electronic-pop songwriters have embraced the analog-synth sensibilities of early-'80s new-wave and electro-post-punk acts. Forest World is clearly part of this phenomenon, and not unlike well-known artists such as M83, Ear Pwr and the less-rock aspects of Cut Copy. The Provo, Utah, duo writes songs that strip electro-pop to its bare essentials of bright tones, percussion and low-end swells. There's also a bit of that eight-bit composition informing some of the music, but more than that, the songs capture perfectly the feel of late nights spent chasing away the ghosts of boredom with an exciting creative outlet.