Abyssal Creatures

A lot of the songs that make up the sixteen-track Social Awkwardness feel like they could have been written and recorded by a nerdy, socially awkward high-school kid circa 1987, in a basement lined with Joy Division, Legendary Pink Dots and Devo posters. Thing is, though, Ian Fellerman, the mastermind behind the Aspen-based three-piece electronic noise-pop group, wasn’t even born then. Whatever affinity the 21-year-old Fellerman has for ’80s electronic pop, he tempers it by adding distorted guitars to most of the cuts, making them sound a bit edgier than other electronic music of the era. As its title implies, Social Awkwardness is the theme here, and Fellerman’s lyrics feel like they came from journal entries by a kid who hugs the wall at parties — and is completely okay with that.