The Foxglove Hunt

Some of the best '80s music was made by duos — Hall & Oates, Wham!, Roxette, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Tears for Fears. If The Foxglove Hunt had been British and around in the '80s, they would be atop that list. But The Foxglove Hunt are two guys from Phoenix, making music in 2008. Thank God The Killers and their contemporaries helped usher in an '80s nostalgia revival. Thing is, they never quite nailed an authentic retro sound, incorporating enough modern pop and indie rock to prevent anybody from mistaking their albums for something made 25 years ago. But The Foxglove Hunt manages to pull off an indubitable imitation. All the elements of '80s New Wave are here — catchy electronic beats; high-pitched, breathy boy vocals; dreamy, swooning synthesizers; even production that sounds old school (props to producer Bob Hoag at Flying Blanket Recording in Mesa). The twosome that is Foxglove Hunt — Robert Withum (from Fine China) and Ronnie Martin (from Joy Electric) — craft catchy synth-pop in the vein of New Order, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and The Human League. They also cover the Psychedelic Furs' 1982 hit "Love My Way." Standout originals include "The Life Highrise," with its robotic ricochet dance beat and dramatic choir vocals; "Don't I Know the Way," driven by digital cowbells and a whimsical, Cure-like guitar progression; and "Business Casual," a bouncy dance song complete with muted horn and bell effects.