Tartufi - Nests of Waves and Wire

For many ‘hipster’ bands, noise-pop acts as a camouflage to mask incompetent songwriting as they wheel out the same pop clichés, albeit under a wall of distortion. However, Tartufi make their idea of noise-pop a thrilling proposition: as dense as it is catchy, as accessible as it is psychedelic and as lush and epic as it is straight-up rocking. This duo paint sound collages with seemingly vast orchestrations à la Brian Wilson, gently throbbing Einstürzende Neubauten-lite percussion, gorgeously ethereal guitar picking and honeyed, otherworldly - nigh surreal - yet infectiously melodic layers of vocals. But instead of letting their cauldron of impeccable ingredients bubble and spoil, Tartufi concoct a delectable stew of deliriously beguiling sound, knowing exactly when to break a crescendo down into exquisite tenderness. In a climate where the vast majority of bands have run out of ideas, Tartufi deserve recognition as a wonderful and thrilling entity.