30 Minutes Of

The official full-length debut of Paris-based new wave-philes Music on Hold, 30 Minutes Of follows a series of homemade, hand-distributed cassettes, EPs, and small-label collections from the band. Also their Born Bad Records debut, the aptly titled 30 Minutes Of remasters some of those earlier songs, though none date back further than three years before the album. While the track list occasionally ventures into darker, heavier post-punk territory, the groups typically short pop tunes favor tinny, neon-colored keyboards and upbeat, lo-fi atmospheres. Examples of the brighter type of song include A Thousand Eyes, a twinkly track driven by melodic bass, and Top of the Bridge, a sparkling celebration of childhood adventure. The back-to-back entries Bread and Water are likewise spaciously arranged and have a whimsical bent. Denser, more distorted songs include the energetic Line the Walls, which features ominous chord progressions as well as murky guitars, and the atmospheric K.A.O. The latter opens with a spoken-word passage delivered with filtered, double-tracked vocals before it settles into a slow and steady pop/rock groove. Bandleader and main songwriter Emile Cartron-Eldins generally strained, sung-spoken vocals put a punky spin on even the most sugary tracks and lend the project -- for better or for worse and despite some quirky melodic hooks and finessed bass -- a sizable chunk of its character. (Music on Hold also includes Mathis of style-adjacent indie groups Skategang and Police Control.) Standout track No Igel Dares successfully merges hooky guitar riffs, shimmery keyboards, and contrasting piano passages, danceable grooves, and tragic lyrics. ~ Marcy Donelson