Pitchfork

The E.L.F. recently finished a tour with fellow Australian dance-pop solo act Muscles, and the two share a likable enthusiasm. Where Muscles shouts about the awesomeness of ice cream or just holding your hand, what has the E.L.F., aka Darren Cross of now-defunct Aussie band Gerling, so psyched is-- fittingly enough for a guy who lists ELO, the KLF, and NWA as influences-- pop music. The E.L.F.'s debut EP is called Stevie Nicks Hearts, after all. The eponymous homebody on EP highlight "Billie" may or may not be Cross's lover, but an androgynous, processed vocal asks Billie to "come out dancing" anyway. It's the perfect subject for an artist whose music is about the intersection between the bedroom and the club, treated with propulsive, Underworld-esque synths, basic drum programming, and looped female vocals that cast an ethereal glow over the whole thing.

Stream:> The E.L.F.: "Billie"

On the EP's title track, Hayes compares himself to Shaun Ryder ("I like to get fairly drunk"), shares visions of Shane MacGowan (speaking of drunk!), and mentions feeling "like a straight Elton John hanging out with Lou Reed," all backed by a kathumping house beat, sweeping synths, trancey keyboards, and vocoder-like effects. It's somewhere between Muscles and the stylish confidence of countrymen Cut Copy, with a referential mischievousness that makes it sound like he's been hanging out with Stephen Malkmus, too-- or at least early Pavement records. The video, like his previous clip for the Beck-reminiscent "Cockroaches", is a homemade affair. Supposedly done for $12, it layers images of hearts and lightning storms, among other effects, over the sight of Cross singing into the camera. As for whether the woman behind many of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits truly "hearts" the E.L.F., I'm still awaiting confirmation.

[from Stevie Nicks Hearts; out now on Oaks]