Voluspa Brille  * * * *

It’s hard to see how New York duo The Golden Filter ever thought they could get away with trying to pull the mysterious and enigmatic card.

Leaving aside the fact that a band can have few secrets when Google is at your fingertips – or when the band play gigs – Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman's musical smarts marked them out for higher office from the get-go. Voluspais that rare beast, an electronic pop album that soars more than it bores. Trappes's icy tones and Hindman's compositional precision (and welcome ability to self-edit grooves down to their simplest essence) means tracks like Dance Around the Fire, Hide Meand initial calling card, Sold Gold, really hit you between the ears. Even more praiseworthy is how the duo duck and dive between styles and genres, meaning Volupsais able to weave a spell on any number of fronts. See myspace.com/thegoldenfilter

Download tracks: Dance Around the Fire, Hide Me, Solid Gold