The latest offering from Frank and River Rabbitte. The odd name is pronounced in full (White Rabbit Object), and the music is something of a grimy post-modern funky noir. River Rabbitte does affect a bit of an Amy Winehouse sneer, but her take is much more askance.

wht.rbbt.obj Oscar Bravo Juliett (self-released)

In general, this has a feel of put-on (if you want the full effect, check out whtrbbtobj.com, which is a real trip). But I think the Rabbittes are sincere in their insincerity. This songs never fail to find the right spot in the bass to add a spur, and again, River Rabbitte just screams "listen to me". Okay. I'm down.

Perhaps some of you remember the early days of Lana Del Rey, when just about every critic was somewhere between "Fuck this pastiche" and "she can't be serious about this, can she?". Um, the answer is yes. And now she's an icon. I'm not saying wht.rbbt.obj has that potential, but in this embryonic phase it can be hard to tell.

I believe this is the first full-length, and it has a bit more staying power than the band's earlier EPs. I am always fascinated by people with extreme commitment to a bit. Frank and River Rabbitte are locked-in and soldered to theirs. Will they continue to evolve and improve? Will their bit get stale? I dunno. But these grungy, slinky tunes are a lot of fun, and River's wails are invigorating. Pin this one in the board and come back soon. . .

Jon Worley