Feathers are four girls from Brisbane creating infectious lo-fi dream-pop. While some of their songs are lively and upbeat, a large number are darker and based on harmony rather than rhythm. Hunter’s Moon is an album full of different moods and well-executed hooks, not to mention some great vocal performances that are far from gender-specific.

I’m generally a fan of music where the singer’s gender is indistinguishable, like the recently featured Black Partridge. Upon my first listening of “Darklands” I did not realize it was an all-girl group. The poppy guitar deliveries are reminiscent of bands like Girls and Malajube, and the vocals tout a similar punch as well, but the gender was still enjoyably indiscernible. The majority of Feathers’ songs are hazy pop gems with plenty of replay appeal and “Darklands” is no exception.

Feathers utilize many intricately evolving harmonies that resound with an art-rock punch. This tactic helps to give them a full sound, almost as if their voices are making up for the absence of an orchestra. “Early Morning” begins with a collective voice. The song is much slower than tracks like “Darklands”, with a chill intentionally drawn-out vibe, whereas “Cruel For Love” applies a rhythm section reminiscent of post-punk greats like Joy Division.

I look forward to seeing what Feathers release next. A comfortable and dazed album is always in high demand for those lazy days, and along with the likes of Beach House and Toro y Moi this group could be your next best bet.

RIYL: Beach House, Joy Division, Girls, Malajube, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Twin Sister, Grizzly Bear, Wild Nothing, Best Coast, Beach Fossils, Cults, Tennis

MP3: Feathers – Darklands

MP3: Feathers – Cruel For Love

Feathers – Early Morning

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Treefight for Sunlight is an apt name for the Danish four-piece. Well, the Sunlight part at least. Their sun-drenched, euphoric harmonies emit every existing positive emotion.  When their eponymous debut album was released earlier this year, I assumed it would be thrown into the spotlight and serve as one of the year’s most praised alternative releases. For reasons that I cannot understand, this was not the case.

When jumping into their unique sound of ecstatic summer pop, it’s easy to think of The Beach Boys, The Zombies, Beach House, and MGMT, all uniting their sounds to create an accessible sense of pop-laden euphoria. They combine falsetto vocals with dreamy compositions that transport you to the happiest place in the world.  They somehow create this magical effect with just their voices, a keyboard, guitar, bass and drums. At this point, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression; they’re not cheesy. They make glorious pop music in a way that still retains rawness and creativity.

Some songs do stand out more than others. Among a few, “What Became of You and I?” always sticks out as a strong number. The precise and tight drumming from Mathias Sørensen puts all focus on the trance-like, catchy melody beautifully carried out by Christian Rohde Lindinger. He also demonstrated the power of his voice when I saw the band live; they played a note-for-note cover of the Kate Bush classic, “Wuthering Heights”. It was phenomenal. “Facing the Sun” was the first single and epitomizes the entire album. Its upbeat tempo and complex rhythms, combined with jovial riffs and catchy vocals, make for a track that never fails to put you in a good mood.

One song is an oddity, in that it isn’t in the same style as the rest of the jolly album. “Tambourhinocerous Jam” is a conciisely dark instrumental, tambourine-based jam. Usually, I would put this down to pure pretentiousness; however it fits in well with the record. It keeps you alert and stops you losing interest in the golden formula that the band seems to have found. Any darkness left from that track is quickly hidden away by the familiar brightness of “Riddles and Rhymes” with its fantastic climax of an ending.

On the whole, Treefight for Sunlight is one that is an instant source of upbeat optimism. From the explosions of pure ecstasy at the start of “The Universe Is a Woman” to the enchanting tone of the guitar in “Facing the Sun”, it is clear that these four young Danes posses huge amounts of talent as instrumentalists and songwriters. Regularly playing and writing music together since they were children has, without a doubt, paid off.

RIYL: The Beach Boys, The Zombies, Beach House, MGMT, Kate Bush, Figurines, Gruff Rhys, Sea of Bees, Wild Nothing, Twin Sister, Tennis, Lower Dens

Treefight for Sunlight – What Became Of You And I?

Treefight for Sunlight – Facing the Sun

Treefight for Sunlight – Time Stretcher

Treefight for Sunlight – Wuthering Heights (live)

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The NYC duo Chappo received some recognition last year with “Come Home”, a summertime psych-rock jam with a shimmering quality reminiscent of alt-rock groups like Teenage Fanclub and The New Radicals. The track was an excellent expansion of several genres; jangly guitars provide the power-pop background, while hints of Neil Young-inspired southern-rock lead just prior to the two-minute mark, eventually serving as a bridge to an effervescent burst of psych-rock magic. The last thirty seconds are a jam-packed recollection of the song’s stylistic twists, reminding the listener just how adventurous yet consistently infectious “Come Home” is.

Chappo plan to release their new EP, Plastique Universe II: Pisces Princess, for free on August 15th. Much like how “Come Home” was written about “a pair of bandits who figure out how to shift into a parallel universe and decide to wreak havoc on their doppelgangers”, the new EP has a concept as well. This time, it tells “the story of a far-away ocean love affair between a caped shape shifter and an underwater siren.” Chappo recorded it at their home studio in Brooklyn over a four-day musical frenzy. Keep in mind, this EP is completely separate from their debut full-length, which is finished and will be released later this year. In the meantime, check out the newest from Plastique, the prickly “Bodies Coasting”.

“Bodies coasting, all these baby fish are floating by, the ocean’s glowing,” is how Chappo opens up the track, each successive verse providing a new accompaniment to the surf-rock inspired guitar movements; they tout a glistening eminence akin to groups like The Morning Benders and Surfer Blood, though Chappo’s song structures are more ambitious in their stylistic approach – as evidenced last year with “Come Home”. The second half of “Bodies Coasting” shows this well; the bass line comes out from semi-dormancy to the front of the mix, paving the way for the gorgeous backing vocal harmonies and brilliant trickling guitar work which enhances the track’s depth while maintaining its infectiousness. A hazy synth pad floats the track to its end, closing with an abrupt blur though its memory remains strong with any listener. If this effort is any indication, Chappo’s upcoming full-length will escalate their popularity to extreme levels – even if the inclusion of “Come Home” in a new iPhone 4G commercial was the first precursor to that. Plastique is a more definitive one.

RIYL: Teenage Fanclub, The New Radicals, The Morning Benders, Surfer Blood, Neil Young, Smith Westerns, Local Natives, Real Estate, Wild Nothing, Girls, Fang Island, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Tokyo Police Club, Fleet Foxes, The Dodos

Chappo – Bodies Coasting

Chappo – Come Home

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The Rozzes are a very young band with an extra dose of talent and vigor, similar in mold to recent youthful power-pop successes like Cloud Nothings. Similarly, they possess a musical intellect that presents talent well beyond their years. They are a band to watch closely as they develop into stars. Even if comparisons to groups like The Strokes are persistent at this point due to their similar styles of production, it is impossible to deny The Rozzes’ inseparable talents, especially when the quality of their material is growing at such a rapid rate. Listeners will be shocked when realizing how young these guys are. They have such an astute grasp on the garage-rock sound they’ve achieved in a short time that musicians ten, twenty, and thirty years their senior will scratch their heads, perplexed as to how it comes this naturally to them.

Both chemistry and similar musical genes play roles in The Rozzes’ quick maturing process. The California-based quartet consists of four cousins that grew up in the same house together. Music was a huge part of their lives at an early age and their interest in it grew along with them. As such, their lifetime commitment to music has resulted in a continuous songwriting process. Their debut album will be released for free in the coming months, followed by appearances at multiple festivals throughout August and September.

Judging by their Twitter account, it’s not surprising that The Rozzes have been in contact with Ryan Gentles, manager of The Strokes (and called by some “the sixth Stroke”). They certainly resemble the prestigious indie-rockers at their earliest/best stages. The main chorus in “Leave Without Me” – particularly when lead singer Isaiah Navarro belches out “Tonight let’s start outside / Now you know I’ve got nowhere to hide” – resembles The Strokes’ “Trying Your Luck” on multiple levels. In addition to Navarro’s unavoidable similarity to the scraggly vocals of Julian Casablancas, a fuzzy rhythm guitar is muzzled under a mix of tremolo-laden guitar trickles and evolving bass lines. The three-minute mark introduces a more prominent bass, which is somewhat puzzlingly mixed higher than usual. The spontaneous increase works advantageously though, producing a sound that is hectically infectious but never rushed nor desperately concocted.

Of course, the smoothly crafted hooks help make such comparisons abundant. You can find them in every chorus on “Leave Without Me”, which progresses to be a polished example indicative of the group’s future. That is, sitting comfortably in the role of radio darlings. “Native Sun” is more amateur in its production and spastic rhythmic patterns, the chorus failing to separate itself from the verse like when it was done exceptionally on the aforementioned “Leave Without Me”. But it is a worthwhile nugget nonetheless, showcasing a band clearly learning the ropes and discovering their sound. As something like “Native Sun” proves, ambitious prog-rock is not out of the question for a band with genuine chemistry like The Rozzes. They’re clearly on the path to bigger and better things.

The final mix of “Indians” is another example of the group’s phenomenal pacing and stirring evolution; the latter is occurring right now. With more ferocity and garage-rock vigor than most ‘00s indie-rock groups (The Strokes included), this fast-paced burst of energy brings to mind a recent movement ignited by groups like Cloud Nothings and Smith Westerns. Bringing along a variety of styles from blues and power-pop to the ambitious proto-punk of groups like Television and The Stooges, “Indians” is one example of a revival that listeners should hope to hear more of this decade. It marks a revival that, instead of relying on hype or trendiness, brings back the raw energy and combustible hooks of past rock acts that remain essential to this day – especially after they defied initial misconceptions about their so-called “amateur” approach. Amateur my ass.

RIYL: The Strokes, Cloud Nothings, Smith Westerns, Rooney, Television, The Stooges, Girls, The Babies, Harlem, Wavves, Craft Spells, Real Estate, Surfer Blood, Magic Kids, Best Coast, Crystal Stilts, No Age, Male Bonding, Wild Nothing, Vivian Girls

The Rozzes – Leave Without Me

The Rozzes – Indians

The Rozzes – Native Sun

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This site aims to emphasize newer releases, many of which have not been released yet. Several times though, I feel an artist is so criminally under-exposed and relevant to today’s scene that a feature just begs to come out. One of 2010’s most talked-about albums was Twin Shadow’s Forget, a wonderful hybrid of post-punk and synth-pop that accommodated songwriter George Lewis Jr.’s fetishism for Morrissey-inspired emotive new-wave. It attracted glowing acclaim from this site and others, most taking note of Lewis’ ability to make melodically nostalgic music with nods to specific artists who influenced the current indie-rock scene in general. Embracing the most immediate trends in electronic-pop and indie-rock, Forget treads the line between melodramatic romanticism and post-punk angst with beautiful precision. Its tributary cohesion of genres was to be admired, but not as much as the graceful songwriting that accompanied it.

Nicolas Makelberge is essentially what you get would get in a mish-mash between Junior Boys and Twin Shadow. The elusive Stockholm-based duo have gathered a small but steady following since the release of their full-length debut, Dying in Africa, in 2006. The group’s vocals resemble something in the vein of Morrissey or Lewis Jr. with its downcast sobriety, while their music recalls the fascination with swift electro-pop, italo-disco, and atmospheric dance that another duo – Junior Boys – have found success with. Prior to his eponymous project, Makelberge worked as a guitarist for several Swedish indie-rock bands of the ‘90s, but a fascination with electronica and atmosphere turned him on toward a more original path. He named his solo project after himself in 2005 and Johan Tuvesson joined shortly thereafter. The duo’s debut EP, South America, was released later that year; it exposed two standouts from the following year’s Dying in Africa in “So Young” and “South America”.

“So Young” is a near-flawless electro-pop gem in several regards. A thumping electro-bass establishes the lead with a slight snare kick in the back. When the fluttering synth arpeggio appears, the percussion shows its first sign of flexibility. And while the percussion never approaches the mish-mashy intricacy of Junior Boys, it is not a necessity. The work of Nicolas Makelberge is certainly more melodic than it is rhythmic, and this is one of the elements that place it closer to italo-disco and new-wave than the latest crop of electro-poppers. “So Young” is arguably the finest example of the duo’s sheer grasp of melody. The fantastic chorus glistens with a gauzy synth pad, twinkling lead synths, and a sullenly reverbed keys; the latter even resemble fellow Swedes The Tough Alliance to a certain extent. This is especially evident during the final two minutes, when a club-ready synth progresses through several stabs – some monophonic and others polyphonic – to craft a breakdown of epic proportions. Considering the bevy of mediocre pop acts in Sweden climbing the charts, I am shocked that “So Young” never received substantial airplay. It is irresistibly catchy and difficult to criticize.

The self-titled effort from their first EP, “South America”, is a swifter and more pulsating effort that reaches a similar level of infectiousness as “So Young”, albeit with a darker tone. The bass is noticeably heavier and deeper, the synths continuing to glisten but not to the same extent as its effervescent counterpart. Lines like “I’ll drive a fast car in South America” elicit the image of one driving suavely in a convertible as palm trees pass by instantaneously. It is wildly appropriate considering the track’s tendency to maintain consistent repetition throughout, only veering off the road in subtle forms (like the bass alteration around 02:15). It could nearly call itself a precursor to chillwave, though an effort like “Dying in Africa” may be more appropriate for that classification.

With its obvious nods to italo-disco, Dying in Africa’s self-titled effort is clearly one of the album’s strongest. Its stirring synth arpeggio is richly integrated over Tuvesson’s soothing vocals. And even with the occurrence of a hectic drum fill designed for dance floors, the evolving solemn emotions of the track remain in focus. “Love feels so sweet when you’re rejected,” he sings during a beautiful interlude absent of a rhythm section. Before the bass and drums kick back in with the plea of “I can’t get over you”, the music remains entrenched in forms of electronica, but structural twists like these bring to mind Morrissey-idolizing post-punkers. Similarly, the bleakly responsive “If You Knew” offers up lines like “I know you say men are swine, but so are you” over whirring synth pads and contrasting synth lines, easily being the most comparable to Twin Shadow in both lyrical sentiment and musical aim.

For critics that found the style of Dying in Africa to be a one-trick-pony despite its immediate melodic allure, the duo followed up with another full-length, The Unforgettable Planet, last year. Many fans of Dying in Africa were upset to find out that the album included no vocals and was an entirely instrumental effort. Call it an ambitious process or one that was rushed; it is hard to judge whether this was a desperate response to critics or a genuine artistic pursuit. Regardless, it lacks the infectious qualities of Dying in Africa, leaving there much to be desired in its bland arrangements and spotty transitions. Highlights like “The Promiscuity of the Failed Romantic” show glimpses of brilliance, but many of these newer efforts are neither intricate nor interesting enough to serve as instrumental stand-alones. They barely gravitate beyond background music in the most subdued of scenarios. It is not a bad release, just one with a failed premise. If the duo can return to the sparkling and invigorating pop of Dying in Africa, then it should only be a matter of time before Nicolas Makelberge is exposed. In the meantime, their (earlier) material continues to be criminally overlooked.

RIYL: Twin Shadow, Junior Boys, Morrissey, The Tough Alliance, The Russian Futurists, How to Dress Well, Wild Nothing, Toro y Moi, James Blake, The Robot Ate Me, Games, Lower Dens, Baths

Nicolas Makelberge – So Young

Nicolas Makelberge – South America

Nicolas Makelberge – The Promiscuity of the Failed Romantic

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In my first feature of Grimes, I made the point that the music of Claire Boucher resembled conceptual art. With gauzy layers of synth that embed themselves into post-punk rhythms reminiscent of Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control”, theatrical art-pop hooks that resembles the likes of The Knife and Björk, and subtle sampling to the effect of Kraftwerk and Burial, her music does not confine itself to one influence or genre. Instead, one experiences a meshing of several different components that combine for a sound that – while occasionally bizarre or puzzling – is thoroughly fascinating in its delivery. Boucher’s engrossing tendencies does not stop at the appearance of her style though, as her pop tendencies are present in each song. Unlike the absurdly pretentious conceptual art that offers an interesting delivery but no substance, Grimes plays like an infectiously majestic series of stylistic concoctions. Boucher makes her music align with her artwork and photos, which feature abstract shapes (usually of body parts) and a wide array of colors that give off the initial appearance of spontaneous disarray, only to reward the attentive viewer with beautifully cohesive formations that take effort to spot – but not too much to the point of becoming frustrating. Like her artwork, Grimes’ music has plenty of unconventional surprises.

Boucher’s additional talents in the visual arts were shown off wonderfully on her debut Geidi Primes, which featured songs that were as apt for artistic cinema as they were for caliginous electronica venues. I noted that a track like “Sardaukar Levenbrech” would be a great choice for inclusion in the next film by Hirokazu Koreeda, who is able to combine traditional Asian music and contemporary electronica to riveting images of resignation, loss, and isolation. Then there were efforts like “avi” that followed more catchy dance, with its reverbed percussion, pulsating bass, and gleaming of strings creating a dark but soothing atmosphere among Boucher’s flexible vocals. Her voice alternates between a subdued murmur of sorts and high-pitched flashes of enthusiasm, showing no hesitance to hold a shrill note if it sounds appropriate over gushing synth pads and austere percussion. We are merely a few months after the release of Geidi Primes, and apparently Boucher is discontent in having just one album to compete for a spot in the Top 50 of the year. Her new album, Halfaxa, was released in typical under-the-radar fashion, and it stands just as strong as its predecessor released earlier this year. To my delight, Boucher has not alternated her sound much, which she describes primarily as “goth-pop”, but with a heavy influence from “Medieval organum, R&B and hip-hop.”

Halfaxa represents, in several ways, the beginning of a transformation period for Boucher. All the songs on Halfaxa are recorded like on Geidi Primes, in DIY fashion directly through the microphone on Boucher’s computer. Change is on the horizon though, at least in regard to studio methods. It would be difficult to spot this based on the quality of her material, but quality songwriting and production always shine regardless of the medium. Ironically, directly after she wrapped up Halfaxa, Boucher realized how to record things through an interface. As a result, “Crystal Ball” – which was recorded using his new interface – did not make it to the album, but Boucher said this likely represents her “new phase”, which she looks forward due to the elimination of MIDI and the prospect of recording her synth straight into the computer. The result is not nearly as dark as her previous material, but with an optimistic glimmer that translates into a more upbeat and overall infectious effort. The percussion pattern follows post-punk as usual, with the click-clacking of minimalist percussion resembling the ominous shuffle of Joy Division. Boucher’s voice is crisper and more expansive than usual though, the variation between her high-pitched and lower vocals combining for some clever hooks. Her methodologies remain the same as various vocal melodies overlap for a sensational melodic turn-out, but “Crystal Ball” suggests we should expect a more accessible output from Boucher in the future. Regardless of whether or not “Crystal Ball” is on the album, I feel it is great enough to catch on like fire regardless. Expect to see this one posted on a bunch of blogs by the end of the year.

Moving on to cuts that actually made the album, “sagrad …” . Boucher’s ooh-ing complements a harp-like progression guided by a single snare, with the ooh-ing eventually serving as an additional synth pad as her lyrical verses emerge. The harp/mandolin-like qualities are eventually phased out in favor of an effervescent synth pad that begins to recall fastidious dance-pop in addition to the initially prevalent dubstep, a style that is present more often than not in the percussive additives alone. The structural route this song takes is extremely spontaneous, perhaps a bit too much for some, but the beauty of the track speaks volumes. The bursting effort “Dream Fortress” may appeal to those who like their structures a bit more accessible, as Boucher expands a string-drenched intro into a bouncy hustle of delicate synth whole notes. Her vocal melody here initially resembles the fantastic “avi”, but that is before the track incorporates additional string elements that border on the avant-garde. The squealing samples contrast with the strings around the two-minute mark quite remarkably though, and especially when the percussion kicks back in there is little to doubt as far as the track’s innovative appeal goes. The conclusion greets the listener with the same delicate chord progression from the beginning, albeit this time with a clanging yet fitting arpeggio that allows the song to end with its feet still on the ground.

Many of Boucher’s songs are so spontaneous and visually stimulating that length is not an obstacle. In fact, there are several five-minute tracks on here that I wished would go on longer. Tracks like “world ? princess” and “sagrad …” contain a multitude of memorable moments that bear repeating before a transition comes on too abruptly. What follows is always entertaining, but there are some greater ideas than others and it is evident that Boucher is still learning to identify these and capitalize upon them. “Weregild” does not suffer from this at all though, standing as one of the better efforts on Halfaxa in regard to mood, tempo, and general infectiousness. Like “Crystal Ball”, this should spread rapidly among fans of moody electronic music. This one specifically recalls Depeche Mode, a band that Boucher is not hesitant to express her respect for (check her shirt in the second press shot). Of course, Boucher’s voice is extraordinarily unique here as usual, and her exploitation of the various pitches she is able to emit is awe-inspiring. Check out the retrospective push of billowing synth sequences around the 02:30 mark and try not to be swept away. Most songs on Halifaxa are just as inspiring, and Boucher is the only artist I am aware of in 2010 who has released two full-lengths worthy of year-end mentions.

RIYL: The Knife, Björk, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, Marissa Nadler, Forest Swords, How to Dress Well, Prince, Black Dice, Hildegaard von Bingen, Cocteau Twins, Twin Shadow, Julian Lynch, Wild Nothing, James Blake, Autre Ne Veut, CEO, Avey Tare, Glasser, Gold Panda, Small Black, Blackbird Blackbird

Grimes – Crystal Ball

Grimes – Weregild (mirror)

Grimes – Dream Fortress

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Jay Watson and Nick “Paisley Adams” Allbrook are not unfamiliar with success. They are used to it as members of Tame Impala, the group from Western Australia that released perhaps the best psychedelic-rock release of 2010 in Innerspeaker. It was a beast of an album that has drawn acclaim for a genre too familiar with criticism. Their own project, Pond, will inspire kudos for similar reasons. Many contemporary “psychedelic” artists ignore the concept and aim of the genre, which to many is the emission of music that is both invigorating and calming; the namesake alone recalls the intent, which should be receptive to a subdued and tranquil mindset without being too simplistic or over-done. It is understandably a thin line to tread, so I find the premature criticism against psychedelic-rock as “a genre for fetishists” to be a bit off, as success within the genre is renowned to the point of the style being inarguable. When you hear quality psychedelic-rock, you just know it. Innerspeaker was one of the few psychedelic-rock releases in the past few years able to accomplish that.

It is easy to throw around criticism when artists focus too much on how their pedals sound or whether a sample from an actual psychedelic track would fit, and THEN attempt to call themselves psychedelic musicians. Call it a plague brought on by our modern days, where the superfluous multitude of sub-genres dilutes the tradition of certain styles. Or you could pin it on the availability of technology, which could allow your little brother’s guitar to sound like David Gilmour if he familiarizes himself with Pirate Bay. These are absurd things to blame it on though, like blaming a McDonalds for obesity. More options should result in more creativity, not an over-dependence on substitutes for artistic expression. No one wants to hear “drone-rock” with three chords played over a Native Instruments program, just like how listeners could give a shit if you play a backwards loop of a Jefferson Airplane song over ambiance. Optimistically, hearing shameful examples like these makes Tame Impala and past psych-rock heroes sound even better. These revered groups do not need inferior comparisons to prove their selective worth though.

Watson’s history with Tame Impala goes back to their beginnings, as he performed on their 2008 self-titled debut EP. Allbrook has been touring with them for several years and was named an official member earlier this year due to his participation on Innerspeaker. Tame Impala’s head honcho/lead songwriter, Kevin Parker, has returned the favor for his friends by playing live with Pond on occasion. Their fourth studio album, Frond, was released earlier this month and is clearly their best. Chalk it up to experience perhaps, but regardless this is an album that is not a far cry from Innerspeaker, both in terms of quality and style. Pond treads in areas of garage-rock more than Tame Impala by using a sharper tone of distortion and less reverb, while sharing some electronic components that never override the psych-rock feeling. For example, the trickles of synths during “Mussels Tonight?” is not distracting or superfluous, while the vocoded bridge in the middle is simply preparation for a dizzying guitar progression that recalls the best of the genre.

Under the gauzy layers of guitar in “Cloud City” there lies a bit of funk, which in addition to the garage-rock in the self-titled cut and extensive prog-rock in “Duck and Clover” provides for Frond’s fresh perspective on psychedelia. There is not one effort on Frond that lingers away from psychedelia, but the flourishes of various stylistic attemps within concise bridges or outros is always delightful. The last four minutes of “Frond”, for instance, is a beautiful arrangement of orchestral elements and guitars that evolves with superb organization from the track’s initial pop-heavy leanings, which is led by a sprightly piano and choir-like procession. A track like “Torn Asunder”, which recalls Suede and Brett Anderson in more ways than one, contains the type of songwriting that most psych-rockers envy. Complete with delicate keys, a calming background of strings, and flourishes of woodwinds, this is the type of effort that will stun a listener making their way through the entirety of Frond. The album has so many surprises, twists, and hooks that one may question its stylistic consistency, even if it is clear. It just contains so much excitement and variation, two components that modern psychedelic-rock has been lacking.

RIYL: Tame Impala, Here We Go Magic, Suede, Beach Fossils, Midnight Juggernauts, Male Bonding, Wild Nothing, MGMT, Wavves, Friendly Fires, The Faint, Justice, The Teenagers, Late of the Pier,Phoenix, Shiny Toy Guns, VHS or Beta, Klaxons, Lotus,  Passion Pit, Wolfmother, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Hawkwind, Devendra Banhart

Pond – Frond

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How to Dress Well? The name sounds like some early 19th century etiquette pamphlet. Things like that tend to lose relevance after a decade. But like all remnants, they maintain historical value. Music, like all forms of art, provides timeless durability in the sheer experience of it, even if historical relevance provides varying outlooks on the theme or style. At heart though, the timeless characteristics of art resound consistently; the point in time of one’s experience inspires variables of reception and accessibility, dependent on social and technological standards of the time. But when it comes down to it, the witnessing of art presents feelings conceived no differently than they were hundreds of years ago.

The brains behind How to Dress Well, Tom Krell, provides a twist on the whole experience. His music is instantly familiar, injected with doses of R&B, soul, and pop that actually reach radio-friendly points of accessibility. Of course, when soaked in reverb, adorned with an echoed falsetto, and featuring a modernistic synth-laden sound, the clashing of both varying degrees of accessibility and time periods leaves room for plenty of great ideas. For Krell, comparisons to chillwave trademarks like Washed Out and Neon Indian are imminent based on his production alone. But How to Dress Well fall more in the vein of Ariel Pink, who uses his adoration for ’60s/’70s frontman art-rock to create a sound that is both hauntingly sad and infectiously vibrant. Of course, Neon Indian’s “Deadbeat Summer” just barely shows the extent of frontman Alan Palomo’s undying love for Todd Rundgren. But even the “Izzat Love” sample aside, the song sounded distinctively modern.

Unlike past motivators of the “chillwave” movement, Krell creates a sort of timeless whimsy within his beautifully fragile sound. Their music resounds with no particular decade, instead offering a meshing of both nostalgic and futuristic styles that bring out a variety of guesses from “some ’80s post-punk variant” to “Michael Jackson if he just chilled on blunts instead of pills”. The latter shows some indication of Krell’s obvious rhythmic ability, but more so in his vibrating falsetto that brings comparisons to MJ, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and even at times Antony Hegarty. Krell’s approach is, for the most part, what brings him such individual success though. His high pitch is not supposed to sound this great under a caressing assortment of synth pads and distorted bass. It does though. You really need to have your vocal rhythm down for that. And in that sense, Krell shows some outstanding talent in both his songwriting and vocal work, showcasing an ambiguous enigma that – for once – does not reek of pretension or greed. Just a genuine love for music of the past, present, and future. That is one aspect of this “chillwave” thing anyone could get behind.

Krell’s innovation is evident throughout the bulk of Love Remains, his debut full-length. His song are all treated with such delicate care, but the differences in ferocity are certainly evident. A track like “My Body” is solemn from the get-go, incorporating a series of layered falsetto that sound like a haunted choir. This in particular is reminiscent of Sigur Rós’ Jónsi. “We were known for the choice that we do, I was hoping for the rain, I was hoping for you,” Krell sings after percussion – which is used sparingly throughout Love Remains – enters the fold. The rhythm here is particularly important because the song’s R&B influence is extremely pronounced, with Krell even incorporating the post-verse falsetto yelps that artists like The-Dream show mastery of.

“Suicide Dream 2” is one of the more unclassifiable songs on the album, meaning that comparisons to R&B and pop take a backseat to serene electronica that sits somewhere between ambiance and soundtrack. If anything, the vein of dubstep that Burial specializes in is the focus here. The twinkling synths emit a melancholy feel that steadily repeats, its tempo and volume never shifting. Instead, Krell’s voice is what exhibits the emotional transitions; he is able to craft stellar hooks on his own with rare preciseness. His unconventional pitch is often the culprit of emotionally-charged mastery. Songs like “Escape Before the Rain” rely on little more than a simplistic piano progression, as echoey click-clacking and whirs of synth in the background provide a deeper audible experience. But Krell’s voice is almost always the emphasis, even around the 01:45 mark when he gives way to the piano loop. His return is imminent of course, and as soulful as ever. I can nearly guarantee that he is going to give chills to any attentive listener (and by attentive, I mean this is the type of artist that you must use good headphones or a stereo to listen to).

A flurry of funk is present in the vibrant rhythm section of “Endless Rain”, which incorporates a DJ Shadow-like loop clip for gradual accentuation. It would be really great to hear a studio version of “Walking This Dumb”, but the live version presented on Love Remains is more than adequate quality. The little crackle in the live bass just adds to the allure. This is certainly one of Krell’s more dance-heavy songs, riding on a distorted chorus that sounds more Girls Aloud than Burial. The intensity of the following song, “Date of Birth”, brings us back to an intenser Krell though. His panting during the progression of string-like synths flows into a distant echoed croon, the song fading out as it progresses. Like most of Krell’s songs, it would fit perfectly as a soundtrack to a dream. Whether the dream is a haunting nightmare, sex-charged romp, or adventure on a night bus is up to you.

RIYL: Burial, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Gauntlet Hair, Memoryhouse, Toro y Moi, Wild Nothing, Active Child, Best Coast, Beach Fossils, Pure Ecstasy, Big Spider’s Back, Cults, Tanlines, DOM, Memory Cassette, Kisses, Eternal Summers, Golden Ages, Nite Jewel

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Cloud Nothings is Dylan Baldi, a 19-year-old from Cleveland that creates music his buddies would probably call outdated, if only for the fact that it hearkens back to a time when record stores were relevant. His interpretation of power-pop is not without its modern traits, but overall the result is one of throwback excellence in finding comfort in a sound where repetition is allowed – if not encouraged – when it bears worth repeating. Sure, that sounds like a Yogi-ism, but power-pop’s history has found several constants that separates it from the psychedelic, operatic, and neo-classical work of artists like The Beatles, who are certainly influential in the genre’s sound but are not precisely the most effective example to show what power-pop sounds like (apart from their early material, of course). Contemporary power-pop in the vein of Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, and The Apples in Stereo has retained part of that original formula, never branching out too ambitiously yet still producing freshly-sounding power-pop. Baldi has some experimental tendencies, so his success will likely be judged on how he is able to juggle ambition and stylistic dependency. Baldi’s new 7″ single, Didn’t You, shows both his love for nostalgic power-pop and contemporary indie-rock.

“Didn’t You” sounds like a dumbed-down Wolf Parade in a sense, with synth progressions that disregard fear of repetition and face occasional struggles as a result; the sound is too much like art-rock, not power-pop, for the amount of repetition. The vocal harmonies will likely be the Cloud Nothings’ selling point, recalling shades of Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes and Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake in a hook-laden formula of “woo-oo-eee-oooo”s repeating themselves over synths that could use a bit of messy experimentation. On the musical side, the comparisons are more fitted toward Black Kids though. The song’s strengths are certainly there, but this sounds like it should have followed the power-pop convention and stopped around the two-minute mark. On the bright side, it sounds like the makings of a solid band with a great grasp of power-pop; “Didn’t You” could be the type of song treated as b-side novelty in a decade or so when Cloud Nothings are accomplished. I hate to make it sound so imminent, but their delivery is exceptionally smooth and the hooks should shine brightly once their songwriting is improved.

“Even If It Worked Out” finds Baldi moving toward the alternative-punk category, with power-pop elements fortunately remaining in the structure. Shimmering guitar accompaniments flutter over an even more enthralling synth accompaniment than in “Didn’t You”, as the lyrics tell of romantic difficulties simplistic enough for high school. “I’m sorry we can’t be friends, my heart is overrated,” Baldi sings with a slight snarl. “I don’t like being alone but I don’t like being with you.” He’s also sorry that they can’t be friends and, well, you get the point. A pretty typical breakup song, but it stands as a particularly strong b-side serving as a more expansive foray into diverse stylistic territory. More personal subject matters and musical intricacy could make comparisons to The Wrens ring even louder, but their mastery of both alt-punk and power-pop components are commendable. With some more diversified songwriting, Cloud Nothings could be huge. At the very least, Baldi is way ahead of his years and most peers attempting to pull off a similar sound.

RIYL: Girls, Teenage Fanclub, The Apples in Stereo, Black Kids, Matthew Sweet, Beach Fossils, Smith Westerns, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, The Morning Benders, Avi Buffalo, Japandroids, Wild Nothing

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Cloud Nothings – Even If It Worked Out

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Cloud Nothings – Didn’t You

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