The Mast are one of those eclectic electronic duos that at face value seem to be hopping on a trend, yet have a distinct flavor all their own. The project of Matt Kilmer and Haleh Gafori possesses an ethereal, simplistic vibe that extends throughout the length of the group’s sophomore full length Pleasure Island.

A series of viral, artistically distinct music videos have garnered the group some underground notoriety, beginning with “UpUpUp,” which had a model contorting spastically whilst covered with some sort of chalk-like dust amidst flashes of surreal backdrops, while follow up single “So Right” contrasted minimalist club ready swells with toddlers conducting (and participating) in a dance party.

The new material is notable as well. Of note is “Temptation” which has one of the most recognizable hooks on the entire record. Most of the record hugs that threshold that marks the divide between chill wave and something that’s club ready. “Emerald” is not one of them, however – a friend of mine remarked that he “vibed with that” upon hearing the track as his intro to the band. And yes, that is just what some portions of the album do. You feel their vibes. Tribalesque, R&B and at times calming. It’s all present.

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It’s hard to tell where exactly The Mast is headed just from listening to the album, and it’s possible that some may complain that the sounds are too minimalistic. Minimalism is in though – Majical Cloudz’ Impersonator record ranked #7 on Pitchfork’s top albums of 2013. The raw emotion in the vocals makes up for the sparse beats. Raw passion isn’t really something that can be said consistently about The Mast – at least not in the same sense as Majical Cloudz. Gafori’s vocals function as an extension of the melodies created by Killmer, moreso than just being a compliment. It’s all one entity. Think Purity Ring. Maybe a little of CHVRCHES, even, although that artist’s product consists more of complementary parts than one swirling entity.

If you’re into swirling in a sultry journey, Pleasure Island is for you. Formal diatribes aside, I quite enjoyed the album.

Score: 4.1/5

The Mast is on Facebook and you can buy their record on iTunes