Describing the ideal location to enjoy their music, Portland electro-pop trio Exroyale simply say: “the moon.”
That’s fitting for a band that also describes its sound as “electro outer space pop.” Or if you’re tired of idiosyncratic genre titles, they offer an alternate “love/sex/vibe music” label as well. Either way, after the release of only one song, these newcomers have already proven an impressive ability to make diverse sounds that work just as well between the sheets as they do on the dance floor. It’s the kind of music you can put on as rowdy guests arrive at your house party—and then play again at three in the morning when the person you’ve been eyeing across the room all night is finally the only one left.
A sexy take on R&B-infused pop, their debut song “Give It Up” kicks off with bouncy synths that nod to Grizzly Bear’s 2009 hit “Two Weeks” before fuzzed-out electronics creep in to make way for seductive vocals that will crawl inside your head and never leave. A deceptively straightforward pop song, the track gradually builds on itself, adding layers of electronic bleeps and bloops before exploding into a climax of shout-along vocals that would sound at home blaring through the speakers of a late-night afterparty at a place like, well, the moon.
Featuring lyrics like, “Show me how you do it, baby; take my hand; dare me to understand,” the sultry “Give It Up” was inspired by real-life events that followed a murky breakup. Or as Exroyale likes to call it: “the emotional masochism of a star-crossed love.” Out of this came an extremely relatable song (especially for the romantically confused among us).
Without revealing band photos or even their own names, the mysterious trio have managed to establish a strong image for themselves...
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