Kevin Bronson on February 4th, 2014

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Kat Primeau has loosed her talents in theater, comedy and music during her time in Los Angeles, even spending some time a few years back in a girl band called Girl Band. Now she has merged skills – and names– with Chris Sousa in the duo Sumeau. At their most restrained, the band’s songs recall ’60s chanteuses, Primeau’s cooing straddling the space between remote and intimate while subtle musical shifts and smart lyrics avoid the suffocating nostalgia that imperils a lot of retro psych-pop. But Sumeau’s self-titled debut album roars a little bit too, especially on “Diggin’ Out.” And, yes, there’s a Sumeau song called “Wrestling.” The album, which features contributions from the likes of Tyler Whiteside (Restavrant), Andy Ford (Rainbow Jackson) and Adrian Prohaska and Robin Harris (Son Ark), comes out Feb. 18.

||| Stream: “Hey You”

||| Also: Check out the video for “Next Day,” which is downloadable from Bandcamp on a name-your-price basis: