It’s been five years since Portland-based electro-pop band Hustle & Drone released its debut full-length album Holyland. At one point, members Ryan Neighbors and Andy Black thought they’d made major progress on a follow-up effort, with 25 songs written over a two-year period. But when producer Sonny DiPerri heard them, his response—described by the band only as “tough love”—prompted the duo to scrap everything and start over from scratch. This time, their work turned into an actual album, What An Uproar, which finds Hustle & Drone exploring a very moody take on synth and beat-driven electro-pop. Upbeat but not cheerful, catchy but not effusive, What An Uproar is a collection of dark and danceable bummer-songs that befit our times. by Ben Salmon