UltraChorus hit the sweet spot between indie pop sweetness and R&B grooves on their impressive debut album Ultra-Def. Overflowing with sexy vocodered vocals, slinky beats, fat synths, and mellow hooks, the duo of Jeff and Chris (who used to be in the underrated band Sukpatch) are firmly in control of their sound and style. There are no stray notes, half-baked ideas, or awkward moves. This meticulous approach results in an album where everything is smoother than glass, and slicker than a sweaty club full of happy patrons. The uptempo tracks like the rollicking “Scarlet Eyes,” “Bestin the Farther,” or “Planetman” are the ones that catch your ear the first time through the album, and are the most obvious good-time playlist fodder, but the songs that slow it down aim to be low-key bedroom jams and are the most intriguing. “Happy and Sad,” “Taskforce,” and “Margins” all have a kind of restrained, heavy soul that is unexpected and very welcome. If the world were a different place, you could imagine people who like Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke totally digging on these songs. As it is, Ultra-Def will remain a hidden gem that adventurous music fans who can appreciate both R&B and indie pop will fall in love with. – Tim Sendra
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