The second go-around for Why?'s Yoni Wolf and Chicago-based rapper David Cohen (Serengeti), Testarossa is a densely packed, atmosphere-driven conceptual piece with one foot in the underground rap scene and the other in the increasingly elastic indie pop realm. Cryptic, eerie, and brimming over with richly detailed, though often elusive characters, the 14-track set chronicles the ups and downs --mostly downs -- of a pair of "star-crossed lovers" named Maddy and Davy, the latter a washed-up garage rocker and the former a reluctant cocktail waitress. Coming in at just under 40 minutes, Testarossa is fleeting, yet dense, a dirty Polaroid affixed to a smoke-damaged bulletin board in an abandoned corner office. Sordid affairs, the debauchery and torpor-inducing boredom of life on the road, and the complexities of child-rearing serve as mile markers against what is essentially the story of how a couple's love for each other waxes and wanes as they navigate the nail-strewn highways of life together. It's hardly a novel concept, but Wolf and Cohen are willing to dig deeper and go wider than most, and in their explorations, both sonic and narrative, they unearth some deep universal truths. Somewhere between Wolf's airy, cosmopolitan vistas and Cohen's captivating delivery, the two manage to find a little tenderness in their protagonists' struggles, and while it can make for some uncomfortable moments, it's never not compelling. Testarossa is a perfect road trip album, albeit one that's best put to use when the listener takes the road less traveled. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

1		Umar Rashid
2		Allegheny
3		Madeline
4		Frank
5		Lunchline
6		Change
7		Wassup (Uh Huh)
8		Lucky Town
9		What a Fool
10		Simone
11		Down
12		The Lore
13		I, Testarossa
14		Simple & Sweet

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