Bosnian Rainbows – Bosnian Rainbows

Former At The Drive-In / The Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and Les Butcherettes founder Teri Gender Bender come from distinct musical backgrounds, but their new band Bosnian Rainbows – also featuring synth-player Nicci Kasper and ex-Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks – is a different entity entirely.

 

Eli is a dark, shamanistic opener; its soaring sonics reject listener preconceptions. The other tracks follow suit: the sweet sway of Turtle Neck collapses into a psychedelic hard rock jam in an instant, and The Eye Fell In Love builds up menacingly before settling into a gorgeous lead melody. It's weird, retro-indebted pop with a sturdy, punk backbone.

 

Teri is an alluring presence throughout; she's passionate and fierce, cautiously echoing the most prolific performers of the 70s and 80s without sounding derivative. Rodríguez-López is infamous for his dictator approach in the studio, but he adopts a collaborative mentality here, complementing the record's ebb and flow rather than dominating it. [Ross Watson]