The Besnard Lakes

This married duo from Quebec has made one very impressive record. Their third to date, surrounded by musicians, but the brainchild of this couple and it comes on big. Big sounds, big production, big ambitions. It sits somewhere between indie rock and shoegaze. They have that big wall of sound thing going on, full productions and My Bloody Valentine style ear-assault. But it's a little more reserved, more melodic, with some space for the listener to settle in and get comfortable. My problem with shoegaze is often that it's so intense and overwhelming that I can only deal with about two songs before I need a few minutes of total silence. This album really paces itself more -- they don't overwhelm you, it brings you along as opposed to just knocking you over. Not to mention the music really is just superb -- the vocals are beautiful and finely tuned, the songs intricate and compelling. As soon as it starts, you want to hear more, always a good sign.

The Besnard Lakes Are The Roar...