Lazy

Lazy has honed its chaotic, cacophonous sound in West Coast dive bars, art-gallery shows, and the grungy hallways of the Leedy-Voulkos building. The local art-rock band’s self-titled EP is sopped with Modern Lovers beats, Velvet Underground dissonance and lo-fi discord, all smoothed out by producer Nathan Reusch. The tight guitar work doesn’t reflect the onstage antics — think whiteface and lots of screeching — for which the five-piece is known. “(I’d Rather) Take the Fire” and “Clothes” start out slinky and sexy, but the beginning of “Future Boy” is grinding and gritty. Yet for all the welcome variation in attack, the singing remains a bothersome distraction. Brock Potucek sounds like a bored hipster aping Johnny Rotten, and Sarica Douglas’ howls are a shrieking mess. Abrasive to the point of sounding contrived, Lazy’s vocals undermine an otherwise original, approachable sound. Nico and Lou? No. Kind of lazy? Yes.