kllo - well worn - lp

Things happen fast these days. So fast in the case of Kllo that the Melbourne duo barely had a Facebook page or a proper song before a wave of interest began to build around their breakthrough EP Cusp. What a telling record title; in the year since its release, cousins Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul have played sold-out shows and festival slots throughout Australia, racked up millions of plays on Spotify, and landed on several Artists to Watch lists. Now they're about to chase steely pop singles like "False Calls" and "Make Me Wonder" with the next logical step: Well Worn, an EP that enhances Kllo's high-gloss hooks even further. Guided by the ghosts of UK garage and like-minded strains of underground dance music, "Bolide" sets a skittish beat against a clipped chorus; "Walls to Build" melds Lam's wobbly synth lines with Kaul's vapor-trailed verses; and the one-two punch of "Sense" and "On My Name" build a couple piano-laced ballads from a pillowy sound bed of laid-back loops and lovelorn melodies. "Don't Be The One" is deceivingly simple as well, bringing the record to a close alongside a rubbery, elusive rhythm and a growing sense of tension and release. Catchy, yes, but also compelling enough to leave us all longing for the pair's inevitable LP.