Remember your curious fondness for the high school nerd? Not the one who talked about comic books and snorted milk out his nose that one time at the beginning of grade 10. No, the nerd. The kid with Rosacea who was always carrying around his pocket bible and magnifying glass, the one whose attire was usually a glow in the dark periodic table of the elements t-shirt? Black Turtleneck are those nerds and the Toronto-based duo’s debut Musical Chairs is what happened when they picked up a Casio.
What the electro-pop duo have produced is a quirky album, similar in its curiousity to The Soft Pink Truth and to Scissor Sisters in its dancibility. Thanks to the surprising mix of early videogame blips and beeps and the inspiration of ’90s dance music like Love Inc., Musical Chairs is as infectious as it is eccentric.
However, it is only fair to point out Musical Chairs is not of the post-punk, indie dance craze on the scene these days. Black Turtleneck is unflinchingly and uncompromisingly electronica, right down to the bored-sounding vocals. Despite fun, bouncy beats, the voice is lackluster and tends to fade into the background. Such an unwillingness to bend to trends is what makes Black Turtleneck the enjoyable nerdy band it is.
Musical Chairs is something easily listened to and hard not to dance along with, lacking, if anything, in re-playability. Besides, it’s not as if you ever sought out your flushed and nervous high school chum except during chemistry exams.