A husband/wife combination of two industry superstars, The Goodnight Darlings just dropped their first release, a quick EP that comes after years of working behind the scenes. Kat Auster fronts the duo, and her credits include being a Juilliard Theater grad, a Sony/EMI songwriter, and MTV's Rockstar coach on the show Made. Wilson Jaramillo's accolades include playing with Lordz Of Brooklyn, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and also being the session guitarist for Patti La Belle and Mary J. Blige.

Obviously they are more than qualified to form their own band by now. Auster brings her pop rock singing into Jaramillo's eclectic music that spans hypnotic beats, New Wave, and dance punk. “Red Hot” starts off with keys and a propulsive beat, and Auster's voice commands attention immediately with a younger Deborah Harry feel. It's a fiery, danceable pop tune with an indie-tronic feel and a chorus you can shout along to, but things change pretty quickly with the following tune “July.” It is a more restrained, cautious tune, and you can hear some post-punk moodiness amid the thoughtfulness. “Propaganda” has a sultrier, sexy feel and sits comfortably on the cusp of being a disco revival tune and glows with undeniable energy.

The second half of the EP shifts into a more electronic groove. “Pacifier” is a sleek, almost haunting electro-rock tune that just sounds like it should be played at night. Title track “Doll Drums” comes off as a Siouxsie & The Banshees inspired tune that's not quite as dark, but equally mysterious. The EP closes out on “Hello Slow,” the most tame offering here that has plenty of backing synth moments that builds into a sweaty, passionate conclusion.

The Goodnight Darlings covers a lot of ground across these six songs. From pop friendly electro-rock to haunting, tense moments to art-influenced punk spirit, this works well either taken as a whole or spread out track by track. As far as EPs go, it does its job perfectly – it leaves you wanting to hear a full length.

Rating: B

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