Cool Hunting

With a breakout summer single – Hey Now Now – The Cloud Room is the latest indie band from the Brooklyn art rock scene to capture my attention. With a sound that nods toward Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and Joy Division, the Cloud Room may get lumped into the new wave of new wave bands but their music has more edge, more heart and possibly more soul. In the same way that Franz Ferdinand plays hyper fast yet melodic and beautiful music, Cloud Room grabs your attention right away – and holds on to it. I can’t tell you how many CDs I’ve listened to lately that get me excited in the first 30 seconds and then completely suck the rest of the album. Not the case with the Cloud Room’s self-titled dreamy, dreary CD. The songs are at times lofty and gorgeous while at other times dark and mysterious. Everyone’s been talking about Hey Now Now, which is a great track, but I think the poppy syncopation of Blackout! and stretched out vocals and plucky guitars of We Sleep in the Ocean both show a wider and stronger range –signaling good things to come for the band.