An opulent and bizarre paradise. A luxurious palace filled with unexpected twists and turns. A dark, shimmering wonderland of weird. These are all the places you’ll go within a minute of Zambri’s “All You Maybes.” It’s an auspicious start to an album that feels like a dark yet overwhelmingly pleasant journey into the unknown. 

No, Zambri is not just some whimsically cool band name; it’s Cristi Jo and Jessica Zambri, two Brooklyn sisters who together make powerful electro-pop that pushes the limits of the experimental. Although the duo have been making music together since they were kids, the recently released House of Baarsa  is their first full length, debut LP; and what a start it is. A collection of ten perfectly creepy songs, House of Baarsa isn’t quite a concept album, but you’ll get the idea right off the bat. These girls know how to blend the frightening with the fun.

But you won’t need to be scared at all, because nearly every track is a winner. After the dark new wave trance of “All You Maybes” is broken comes “ICBYS,” an upbeat, fantastical dance song with an irresistible synth beat. “Hundred Hearts” samples Berlin’s epic power ballad classic, “Take My Breath Away.” It’s definitely unexpected, but it works; Zambri keep the same slow, melodic pace of the original, adding some grit layered underneath the light yet booming percussion and delicate vocals. It’s the epic power ballad re-worked and re-imagined.

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