The Mary Onettes

9 p.m. Wednesday, May 14. Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street

May 7, 2008 at 4:00 am

The Mary Onettes' music is unabashedly '80s in every way; the Swedish new-wavers borrow from bands such as New Order, the Cure and the Jesus and Mary Chain. But as the cliché goes, every artist is a thief — and the Mary Onettes seem to know how to steal the best parts from the sounds of its influences. For instance, "Lost" starts with a driving drumbeat and a Billy Idol-inspired guitar riff before huge synthesizers propel the song into the first verse, which in turn conjures Tears for Fears' sophisticated melodic themes. Still, the Mary Onettes don't get stuck in one particular stylistic rut: The songs on its self-titled debut move seamlessly from keyboard-heavy dance numbers to psychedelic pop.