The self-titled debut — and to date, only official release — from Antemasque is a strange orphan in the sprawling joint catalog of Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Rounded out on record by Mars Volta collaborators Flea and drummer Dave Elitch, the band popped up during the Mars Volta’s breakup, in a brief window between At the Drive In reunions. It seemed to fly largely under the radar, which is a shame, because the material here is some of the sharpest and most focused these two have ever produced. Perhaps deliberately turning away from the willful indulgence of the Mars Volta, they streamlined boldly here, favoring driving verses and huge, fist-pumping choruses within radio-friendly track lengths. Sometimes, as on “4AM,” they flirt with a New Wave-y throb, while the glam-punky “50,000 Kilowatts” is the closest these two have ever come to power pop. Elsewhere, as on “In the Lurch,” they sound like At the Drive In being teamed with a savvy pop producer. Overall, this album is proof that when they set their minds to it, these staunch maximalists could pare things down and still summon pure gold.