“We’re striving for decadence on a budget, the nicest dinner six dollars can buy,” claimed LA scene queen Piper Kaplan in an interview last year, and it’s a fairly apt summation of her group’s debut. Another is: take a room full of instruments, call up close friend [a]Ariel Pink[/a] to produce, score a big bag of weed and stick a bunch of the best [a]Fleetwood Mac[/a], [a]REM[/a] and [a]The Smiths[/a] LPs on the jukebox. With influences worn boldly on their young, impeccably tailored sleeves, Piper (24) and guitarist sister Skylar (16!) channel a distinct air of the California breeze – or is that just pot smoke? – on standouts ‘Stilyagi’ (Russian for ‘hipster’) and ‘Lost At Sea’, while Kaplan Jr’s Marr-esque lines, swathed in chorus, are exemplary throughout. At 43 minutes it does feel slightly overlong, and a little self-editing would have gone a long way. It might not always leave you fully sated, but as cheapo meals go, Puro’s is definitely a cut above Nando’s.
Will you be banging your head, looking like you’ve just taken five pills after listening to ‘Headbangers In Ecstasy‘ below?
Rob Webb