In 2015, electronic pop quartet
Stepdad were robbed, losing a hard drive's worth of album material for what would have been their sophomore full-length and follow-up to 2012's
Wildlife Pop. The group managed to save four tracks, which appear on this 2016 EP,
Masterbeast Theatre. Their sound remains intact: danceable, finely polished pop gems that sound like a cross between
Capital Cities' indie-dance and
Miike Snow's dark pop. Opening with the buoyant "Harm's Way,"
Masterbeast Theatre keeps the party hopping with infectious rhythm, bouncing beats, and joyous vocals by frontman ultramark. Lead single "Marquis Marq" is the highlight, packing a midtempo punch that is groovy cool. The EP ends on an icy synth note with "Nightvision." Overall, the melodies and sharp pop sense on this collection hint at what could have been an impressive album, had it not been taken from them. ~ Neil Z. Yeung