Sometimes music is like a Robert Altman film. Considering the director's intertwining of disconnected images into an artistic whole, it's not hard to imagine crisply sampled analogue beats bearing a rhythmic order analogous to Short Cuts or the much renowned Nashville. Predating Kraftwerk's earliest electronic efforts by well-over ten years, his 1957 film Delinquents is an overlooked gem of the proto-electronic period. While Metrovavan's press release neglects to list Altman as a stylistic influence, the band clearly stands among those aroused by the director's all-encompassing grace.

"Super Shadows", Retrofitting's opener, drops a synth-driven melody that slides concomitant to an archaic, machine-powered rhythm -- effectively slanting the album on a retro-Virgin Suicides tilt. On "I'm Glad I'm Not A Spaceman", the band favors a more leisurely stride; at best a faltering warble, Scott Twynholm's voice carries the tune, lightly chanting poignancies as itinerant space flourishes saunter through the melody. In "French Lesson", the album's most luxurious track, a sumptuous chorus slides along twin rails of buzzing synth and sporadic samples, gradually intensifying the beat until it reaches its euphonic crescendo. Metrovavan remains faithful to this stylistic trope for the majority of Retrofitting, with a few 30-40 second songs ("Astronomical Twilight", "Because of the Sun") helping to edit the album's rigid dynamics into a flowing stream -- a ploy some celebrated electronic acts would benefit from copying.

At the disc's conclusion, two surprisingly worthwhile tracks emerge; "Behind The Last Star" and "Red Hose Swing" drifting casually past your ears, a low-key electronic backdrop that floats pleasurably into the digital sunset.

Retrofitting distinguishes itself from other electronic works on the basis of sampling acumen alone. Nothing is forced, but rather pegged comfortably into the melody, acting as a rhythmic unit unto itself, with a tight-fitting, listener-conscious zest that helps to overcome artistic shortcomings. The only notable imperfection is Twynholm's vocals; while they aren't without a measure of endearing charm, it's likely that many listeners would prefer to do without them entirely. Fortunately, the overall quality of the rest of the album makes it easy to forgive Twynholm's fervent (if misplaced) desire to give us a little something extra.