Subiza

Named in honor of the small Basque town where it was recorded, Subiza could also be a neologism that describes Delorean’s hybrid aesthetic: While Subiza clearly conveys the spring break forever spirit of Ibiza techno through its house synth refrains and resonant, decadent rhythms, the album also speaks to the Spanish band’s under-the-radar indie-rock background through a structural sensibility that puts the song first. The result is an effort that at once boasts a consistent, identifiable sound, but has distinct, individual tracks that don’t end up blurring together or seeming too samey, as both dance music and electronic-inflected rock can seem to uninitiated ears.

It would take a hard heart to not succumb to ‘Stay Close’. If foam parties had any credibility, this would be the soundtrack: bubbly, mischievous frolics, with a breathless come-up which has the good sense not to drop anything so brash as a hard bassline. It’s hard not to come across all loose-chopped and clammy-fingered when exalting this intro. While bass music flits between silliness and deep concentration, Delorean have gone straight for the happy vein, reaping collective elation like Cut Copy did on In Ghost Colours. Sustaining this kind of headiness for a whole set requires stamina, but then Delorean aren’t in it for the easy kicks. ‘Real Love’ offers a masterful shift in pace, slowing it all up for a bedding-in that surpasses its formidable opener.

Delorean helped define the bright, beachside vibe of last summer's indie landscape, but they also deserve to be placed in a broader context. On their new album, Subiza, the Spanish four-piece deploys the build-and-burst tempos of 90s house and techno music, and they do so explicitly, never shying away from arms-in-the-air piano bridges or incandescent raves. This music is proudly informed by the resiliency and vigor of classic club music, and its title (named after the Basque town in which the album was recorded) recalls the famously nightclub-centric Ibiza and the Balearic dance music that originated there.

Spanish four-piece Delorean make the kind of music that longs to be played on a warm summer's evening, possibly around a campfire, probably in a gorgeous beach setting. Subiza, the follow-up to last year's rapturously received Ayrton Senna EP, replicates the cinematic dance pop that Animal Collective and Cut Copy have moved towards in recent years.