“Abducted”
from the album Cults
2011
iTunes
Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion have established a cult-like following in mere months. Their full-length debut includes “Go Outside,” the hooky, insouciant lo-fi tune that focused the Internet’s ever-roaming gaze on the Brooklyn duo. The NYU film students — Follin sings, Oblivion slings the guitar — are purveyors of that brand of mysterious, old school rock ‘n’ roll swagger. On songs like “Abducted,” their swooning, ’60s-era girl group melodies are undercut by heartbreak. Others, like “Bad Things,” are interspersed with speeches from notorious cult leaders, adding a sinister undercurrent that teeters on the edge of depressing.