Elefant

Elefant's Diego Garcia definitely ripped a page from the Morrissey book when he crafted both his songs and public persona. Like Morrissey, the natty, reed-thin frontman deliberately cultivates an aura of mystery — a previous performance at I/O had some audience members speculating as to whether those were bandages on his wrists or artfully tied white scarves. Also like Morrissey, he crafts wistful, guitar-driven pop songs that capture moments from romances past and present, tunes that are danceable but feature decently literate lyrics (Garcia is a Brown grad). But enough about Moz; where that mopey Mancunian claims staunch asexuality, Garcia's Latin roots betray him. For all the sonic sparseness of Elefant's 2003 debut, Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid, there is an undeniable sexiness in the words, the beats, and the singer's moves. Garcia is no shrinking violet, either, increasingly known for his accessory of choice — models. Accordingly the tracks on the band's latest effort, The Black Magic Show, boast a bigger sound and more of a swagger, and Thursday's performance should match. Expect a crowd as pretty and stylish as the band. Expect big choruses and catchy hooks about bittersweet tales. Expect choreographed onstage theatrics. Above all, expect to move.