Funs Cool

Funs Cool is the winsomely subversive debut by New York indie pop act the Prettiots. On paper and even at first blush, the sunny melodies and ironic lyrics of ukulele-playing frontwoman Kay Kasparhauser and bassist Lulu Landolfi seem a little too cute to digest, but beneath the surface of tracks like "Suicide Hotline" and "Anyways" are darker undertones that reveal the Prettiots to be more than just a hip gimmick. Sure, they sing bright little odes to odd leading men like Law & Order detective Elliot Stabler ("Stabler") and actor Klaus Kinski ("Kiss Me Kinski"), and their unfairly pretty cover of the Misfits classic "Skulls" is straight-up novelty, but Kasparhauser's warm voice and keen wit are generally enough to carry the album. A charismatic showcase at 2015's SXSW festival helped the Prettiots win over British indie powerhouse Rough Trade, and the label's increased production budget helped put a much-needed shine on their early tracks, which suffered from a ramshackle, lo-fi patina that worked against them. The leftover punk scuzz mixed well with the more robust makeover, resulting in a surprisingly beefy sound given the limited instrumentation of uke, bass, and drums. Songs like "18 Wheeler" and the relationship laundry list "Boys (That I Dated in High School)" are surprising winners on an album that feels like it probably should be written off. ~ Timothy Monger