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StarfuckerStarfucker****Badman Recording Co., 2008

Over the past year it’s been hard for Starfucker to make a wrong move.

That time frame has seen the Portland group hit everything from basements to the Doug Fir with an arsenal of danceable synths and day-glow theatrics that are about as irresistibly charming as they are energetic. Based on the songwriting of ex-Sexton Blake frontman Josh Hodges, the group was predisposed to greater things from the beginning, but with their self-titled debut they reach heights that precisely no one would have predicted a year ago.

Hodges’ songwriting motto seems to be “If it’s not a hook, I’m not interested” and the debut album from his electronic dance experiment hold true to this preference.

Included are local hits “German Love” and “Rawnawld Gregory Erikson the Second” as well as an assortment of material that reinforces the band’s commitment to synthesizers and stomping eighth notes while tempering its efforts with slightly more reserve. Notably absent are several of Starfucker’s more raucous numbers, though the manic enthusiasm that won the group such adoration in the first place is still present throughout the LP.

With little more than a year having passed since their emergence onto the house show circuit, it’s almost surreal to know that Starfucker is currently gaining national attention and playing to sold out crowds in Tokyo. This album serves as an excellent bridge between the Starfucker of dank Portland basements, and the Starfucker that’s about to get the widespread attention it deserves.-Shane Danaher

Noah and the WhalePeaceful, the World Lays Me Down*** 1/2Interscope Records, 2008

Noah and the Whale may be one of the only bands that can be compared to Neutral Milk Hotel without a derisive side note about the former’s constant aping of the latter.

Instead, Noah and the Whale manages the impressive feat of creating an acoustic intensity similar to Jeff Magnum and the boys while still maintaining a remarkable confidence in their own lyrical styling. The heartfelt gravel of lead singer Charlie Fink seems perfectly at home in its melancholy declarations and his band’s orchestral flourishes appear at exactly the right moments to help fill out the epic melodrama of his songwriting.

For an England-by-way-of-major-labels import, Noah and the Whale shows a remarkable amount of reserve and skill in its songcraft, and, remarkably, their big-ticket production manages to enhance rather than slaughter their more theatrical tendencies.

Peaceful is a surprisingly thoughtful and approachable debut from a band that seems almost out of place in the sizable leagues in which they’re playing. With any luck they will continue to follow their individual muse, regardless of where it takes them.

Noah and the Whale play the Doug Fir on Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. The performance is free.-Shane Danaher