Los Angeles-based trio Automatic are known for playing synth-based, danceable post-punk with dystopian lyrical themes. Is It Now?, their third album, expresses the same sort of late capitalist paranoia and dark, subtle humor as their previous efforts. However, the three bandmembers have undeniably improved as musicians, and the record is easily their best-sounding and most accomplished effort to date. While their music previously resembled stripped-down, ESG-style dance-punk with droning Suicide synths and occasional New Order-esque basslines, here they’ve streamlined their sound a bit, coming closer to ’90s alternative dance. Opener “Black Box” has shuffling bongos and buzzing, swooping synths along with coolly detached, echoing vocals.

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