Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid
If you like theStrokes, you should be spending this week’s CD allowance on Elefant’s first full-length recording. This New York- based band has the same angular, punchy guitar and bass, sticky melodies, ennui-filled boy vocals, and pointed lyrics as the Strokes. But with Elefant, you get a little Brit-pop flavor from vocalist Diego Garcia (originally from Argentina but sounding British). Catchy arrangements grab you right away with the opener, "Make Up," and by track three, "Misfit," you know the ebullient style of guitarist Mod is going to stick in your head long after the CD stops playing. "Bokkie" is tailor-made for radio but is completely fresh and irresistible, and in a similar vein, "Love" bristles with a pop energy that’s both understated and relentless.--Lorry Fleming