REVIEWSThe Bird and the Bee, ‘Ray Guns Are Not the Future’

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• SPIN Rating:7 of 10

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Label: Blue Note

Inara George coos in an airy soprano that recalls early Disney heroines, while Greg Kurstin brings sophisticated songwriting, production, and instrumental skills honed with Beck and Lily Allen. Together, the duo fashion capricious, synth-tinged retro pop brimming with kaleidoscopic detail. Sometimes they get stuck in gilded lyrical vagaries, but simpler subject matter serves them best: "Diamond Dave" pays tribute to the original Van Halen frontman with an easy-listening lushness that captures his showbiz essence more truly than any metal militia.

Listen: The Bird and the Bee, "My Love"

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