L.A. Unheard: The New Division’s reclaimed new wave

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The band: The New Division, a Los Angeles quartet.

The sound: On debut album ‘Shadows,’ the group offers a fresh take on the ‘80s melodrama Interpol and the Killers revived a decade ago, serving up brooding vocals and synth bedding as industrial-grade drum machines hammer down from above. On album opener ‘Opium,’ the band extends a druggy lament with cut-to-ribbons vocals and a climactic four-on-the-floor beat, a rock/dance marriage that serves as an effective template for the rest of the collection. Think New Order for the Skrillex set.

The random: The New Division began as a solo project in John Kunkel’s college dorm in 2005, with the rest of the quartet joining the equation two years later.

The details: ‘Shadows’ came out Tuesday.

The music: Hear ‘Opium’ below.

The New Division - Opium by dangervillage

-- David Greenwald