Glitchy electro pop is a dime a dozen in these post-Postal Service days, but Massachusettss trio, Mobius Band, throws a curveball into the mix by turning up the guitars just enough to call it electro-rock. Tricky, huh? “Starts Off with a Bang”, well, doesn't exactly, but it's a damn fine glimpse into what Mobius Band is all about.

Carefully strewn electronic blips that recall some of Vitesse's poppier moments serve as a foundation to vocalist Ben Sterling's languid resignation. New Order is on the iPod somewhere, if the wiry, recessive guitars are any indication. And so is Aphex Twin, for that matter. The melodies are stark and affecting, even in the instrumental breaks.

“Multiply” is on track to being the best fucking song of the year. And before I sputter like a fool, falling all over myself at how good this song is, just trust me. It's dark, electronic-pulsing Postal Service without the nerdy self-effacing goofiness of Ben Gibbard's overwrought verbosity. The way the plaintive singsong vocals meander above the post-punk guitars is utterly perfect. And it even builds to a guitar-driven climax. I just about wet myself and wrecked my car when I first heard it on my local college radio station.

The balance of delicacy and distortion on “Year of the President” proves this band is gaining on its well-established peers (Interpol). The title track hints the band's previous incarnation as a full-on post-punk outfit with its surging guitars. The airy melancholia is tempered by a slick, shoegazer sheen. The electronics are an evolving addition but, without question, vital to the band's exciting growth.