Audio Mixer: Victor Van Vugt.

Recording information: Cacophony Recorders, Austin, TX (12/2006-02/2007); Premium Studios (12/2006-02/2007).

Building on the strength of a well-received series of EPs, the Austin, Texas, indie-rock act Voxtrot unveiled its self-titled debut in 2007. Fronted by plaintive-voiced singer Ramesh Srivastava, the ensemble often comes across as a fleet-footed, less-dour version of the National, with impressive Britpop-influenced arrangements gilded by strong rhythms and catchy melodies (see the urgent "Kid Gloves" and the energetic "Firecracker"). While comparisons to other post-punk-inspired bands (including Interpol and Bloc Party) are inevitable, the quintet manages to assert its own emotive aesthetic, particularly on "Brothers in Conflict," where Srivastava knowingly sings, "I have to lose my idols to find my voice."