Formed in the hallowed musical community of Austin, Texas, The Distant Seconds aren't sheepish about looking at the past to inform their present. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Matt Baab and drummer Charlie Ewing (both late of Velvet Underground-inspired darlings the Soft Set), as well as keyboardist Brandon Bunch and bassist Kirk Miles, the four-piece takes its cues from the pantheon of indie gods, with echoes ranging from Television to Devo.

Following their Matador-approved single "Gertrude Stein" in 2006, the Distant Seconds have finally compiled a proper full-length in Spectral Evidence, a tight and punchy outing that neither relies on subtlety nor bombast. The piano tones and rolls of mysterious opener "Disembalmed" give way to the more straightforward rock squall of "Throb in Unison," where Baab's Tom Verlaine-esque vocals commingle with the jangly rhythms and flecks of keyboard noise. Muted strums and organ chords from a bygone era prevail on "We're Unstoppable," a track that's seemingly less about braggadocio and more about self-empowerment.

Baab and Ewing's Soft Set years, where the aforementioned Velvet Underground and the Modern Lovers were touch points, seem to resurface on the brief, buoyant "The Manual," which is leveraged by a single synth note and sunny guitars. Meanwhile, album highlight "Half a Believer" is a somber tome where smooth ivory flourishes, Baab's hushed guitar chords and strained, yet delicate vocals crash against Ewing's shuffling drum cadences.

While the band can't help but bear the imprints of its 70's and 80's-era muses, the Distant Seconds nevertheless have finely honed their grooving brand of indie-rock. They needn't create any overt dischord to state their point; finding the catchy nuances in between is fine enough.