

Haze-pop duo Gauntlet Hair might have a problem, and it’s not the fact that singer Andy R. sounds uncannily like Animal Collective’s Avey Tare. Nor is it the fact that the band's lyrics are inscrutable, owing to the viscous pool of reverb in which Gauntlet Hair songs are immersed, as if they’re dipping fragile gems in a protective shield. We think those are positives. The problem Andy R. and Craig Nice might encounter is potentially exposing their fans to C.C.S. (Cotton Candy Syndrome), a disorder brought on by prolonged exposure and consumption of Gauntlet Hair's air-spun, prettily diaphanous songs, which may fail to satisfy heartier appetites. Gauntlet Hair is delicious on many accounts, serving a warm, bubbly concoction rich with crackling percussion and plucked strings that reverberate and ripple outward, each song projecting a slightly different texture, pace, or flavor. Going back for seconds on tracks like the peppy “That’s Your Call,” the circling and hypnotic “Top Bunk,” or the shape-shifting “Lights Out” just might satisfy those nagging cravings. Yum.