It’s entirely possible the gauzy haze which pervades How to Make You Boil serves as its own metaphor. For a band that so often sounds distinct and singular, the debut EP from Karaoke is largely a blurring of familiar sonics and aesthetics—spectral pop, cryptic post-punk, arty goth rock—all of it shrouded in moody tones and undulating shadow. Yet, despite its haunting intonations, I’d hesitate to call this a dark record; there is an aura of foreboding that lurks throughout, but it’s balanced against a sense of ethereal splendor that pulls the listener deep within Karaoke’s dreamlike realm.

Karaoke - How to Make You Boil

Taken from a poem by vocalist and songwriter Grace Wayne, the title reflects the divergent forces swirling within the EP’s nebulous contours. At face value it suggests both an ability and a willingness to agitate and get under another’s skin. Viewed more abstractly, however, there is kind of absurd humor contained within the phrase—and an insinuation of implicit terror as well. It’s within this tangle of emotions, this intertwining of conflicting moods and visions, that How to Make You Boil finds much of its murky power.

As I alluded before, make no mistake, there is plenty of lustrous radiance that filters through the EP’s diaphanous frame. It’s there in Tymb Gratz’s shimmery guitar chords and the sharp gleam of his jagged rhythms. It’s there in the perky interplay between drummer Adrian Benedykt Switon and bassist Chris Yonker. But mostly it’s in Wayne’s sublime vocals, in the way she twists and turns her words into mysterious, disarmingly beautiful shapes. The haunting allure she displayed in her previous project Del Venicci remains, although her voice here sounds warmer, more commanding and human.

It’s probable, given music journalism’s infuriating need to neatly compartmentalize artists, that Karaoke’s music will get lumped under the umbrella of pop, although most of the songs here unfurl in ways that defy genre expectations. Indeed, much of the pleasure of listening to the EP is trying to decipher where the tracks are headed and where you might be swept off to next. Of the record’s six songs, only opener “Lost in the Novel” seems to proceed with any sort of unambiguous intent, skittering along a series of bouncy and propulsive grooves.

More than anything else, Karaoke’s debut deftly proves the group’s diffuse fog can be stretched in all manner of beguiling ways. Whereas “Boy/Girl Party” slinks and slides in a hypnotic dance that teeters between seduction and exasperation, “Man Made” billows forth in cool, cascading waves—a resolute saunter as opposed to a narcotic swoon. “For the Kid,” meanwhile, tumbles forward at a more nervy pace, showcasing the band’s ability to interject some kinetic buoyancy into their nocturnal emissions.

It is the task of art to reveal something more—greater truth, greater beauty, greater anguish—upon closer inspection, and How to Make You Boil succeeds at innumerable turns. These aren’t songs that look to worm their way into your brain, but that cloak themselves in mist, waiting for you to seek their secrets. Fear not, though. The journey can be icy and dark, but there’s enough light to guide the way.

How to Make You Boil is out today on cassette and all digital platforms via Irrelevant Music.

Karaoke will celebrate the release of How to Make You Boil on Sat., Aug. 25 at 529 alongside Flamingo Shadow (Record Release) and Rose Hotel. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance, $10 DOS. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Bandcamp: karaokeatl.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @karaokeisaband