Extra fine songwriter and longtime bedroom-pop auteur Kelley Stoltz delivers on the promise so many of his records slyly hint at. Que Aura is the platonic ideal of a Kelley Stoltz record, which is a very exciting thing indeed. Stoltz embraces his best synth-pop tendencies, with this incredibly self-assured set of tender tunes, combining in his own hangdog fashion both a disco-lit abandon and the attendant post-party sighs of dread and remorse. Great songs come out of Stoltz at an alarming rate on any given day but this particular collection is some of his most effortlessly catchy stuff yet. Ennui under the disco lights suits him very well‰ÛÓthere‰۪s a hearty sip of Pulp-ian white Brit shimmy with a wink, a dash of Fleetwood Mac‰۪s cynically professional late ‰۪70s sheen, and even a spritz or two of Echo and The Bunnymen, which should surprise no one who‰۪s noticed Stoltz has been playing guitar with McCulloch and Company for the past year or so. This record cements Stoltz‰۪s place in the power-pop pantheon where he belongs, right between Dwight Twilley and Martin Newell. Let the Hall of Fame know!
