Lockbox

At first listen, this album sounds like Jesse Briata, aka Lockbox, borrowed a lot from Aphex Twin and Dan Deacon. “Parmenter Acid,” for instance, is the kind of playfully spastic electro-pop song that wouldn’t be completely out of place on an earlier Deacon record. “Headbones,” meanwhile, is like a cousin to Aphex’s “Shiny Metal Rods.” This release may be a bit lo-fi for some, but Briata’s ability to weave in and out of a broad spectrum of electronic pop ideas and IDM beats really shines here. “Graduation,” the closing track, showcases the highest degree of compositional development; with wandering and ghostly vocals that recall Takashi Mizutani, plus slightly funky synth bass lines underneath swaths of ethereal guitar melody, the song is a synthesis of Briata’s fascinating aesthetic explorations.