The spontaneity and community intrinsic to the word karaoke is reflected in the band’s hypnotic debut EP How to Make You Boil. Over 6 tracks, the ensemble are consumed by whirling emotions but refract the chaos into glowing empathic pop. The title was drawn from a poem by vocalist and songwriter Grace Wayne, and is framed as a recipe for how to infect someone with obsession. This deviousness borne of desire channels the human struggle for acceptance and intimacy. It’s a journey which so easily strays down tangled paths of confusion, but Karaoke explore these sobering realizations with humor and poignancy.

The collaborative sound of Karaoke is drawn from each member’s wealth of experience. Wayne honed her icy vocals in Del Venicci alongside drummer Adrian Benedykt Switon, who also plays in Shepherds. Guitarist Tymb Gratz was a founding member of Mood Rings, and bassist Chris Yonker who currently plays in Omni also fronted Hello Ocho. Wayne channels Feist’s clear-eyed observations and Nico’s gothic flair with a surprising intimacy. This combination is perfectly suited for Karaoke’s spacious sound, which spans the fraught ground between comfort and discomfort, yet what truly sets the band apart is their ability to veer into unexpected melodies and tempo shifts, guided by Gratz’ sprawling guitar work and Yonker’s animated basslines.

Echoes of This Mortal Coil float through the most cavernous segments of the album, but Wayne’s earnest voice transmits a deep reflection all her own - that dreams are better than reality. How to Make You Boil is an ethereal lens which channels our grasping at the fleeting passions of life. It is an outlet for the smallest voices within each of us and an open-ended question disguised within fully-realized pop.