Laika and the Cosmonauts

Absurdistan

Yep Roc

Once again, Finnish instrumental combo Laika and the Cosmonauts (not to be confused with purveyors of jagged ethereal pop Laika) emerge with a solid collection of hummable — but not singable — ditties. “Disconnected,” the opening track, is a sly roundup of phone sex and international espionage. At least that’s what it sounds like. “Look! No Head!” has a great driving splash cymbal beat and occasional exclamations punctuating mean-spirited riffing not unlike Huevos Rancheros. It’s not fair to call this surf music; however, any fan of the genre will instantly appreciate this guitar-heavy instrumental concoction.

Yep Roc Records, P.O. Box 4821, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-4821; http://www.redeyeusa.com/yeproc

Anton Wagner