Dunes

by Gardens & Villa

Overview

After releasing an album in 2011 that was nice but not very distinctive, Gardens & Villa changed up their strategy enough to make their 2014 album Dunes a huge improvement. Still playing a wistful brand of indie pop with synths that are in turn dreamy and pleasant, the group turned to former DFA member/renowned producer Tim Goldsworthy to add some punch to their sound. His production gives the Dunes a snappy bounce that was definitely missing on their cleanly rendered debut, taking the uptempo tracks straight to the dancefloor. The slower, more introspective tracks have a hazy stickiness and soft rock sweetness that send them right to dreamland. The album is split between the two, almost in an alternating fashion that gives it a choppy feeling and helps each track stand out. The increased energy and attention to sonic detail is very nice, but without songs that work, it's just a fancy package with nothing inside. Luckily, the band respond with some really catchy, hooky tunes that synch up well with Goldsworthy's production. The best of them -- like the very '80s synth pop track "Colony Glen," which gives Christopher Lynch's warbling falsetto a perfect spot to roost, the snaky "Bullet Train" that shows off the nocturnal side of the band and has some smooth synth sounds, or the pulsating dancefloor filler "Avalanche" -- are easily on par with most of the bands they've been accused of mimicking in the past. They show off a nice touch on the album's piano ballads, too, with both the aching "Chrysanthemums" and "Minnesota" displaying a welcome spot of deeply felt emotion to go with the chillwave detachment that pervades the rest of the record. Dunes is a perfect match of band, songs, and producer that works almost perfectly and should mean that the days of Gardens & Villa being compared to their peers are over. If they make more albums this good, other bands will soon be compared to them instead. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	02/04/2014
Label:	SECRETLY CANADIAN
UPC:	0656605029429

Tracks

1. Domino
2. Colony Glen
3. Bullet Train
4. Chrysanthemums
5. Echosassy
6. Purple Mesas
7. Avalanche
8. Minnesota
9. Thunder Glove
10. Love Theme

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Gardens & Villa   Primary Artist
Dustin Ineman   Synthesizer,Percussion
Levi Hayden   Percussion,Machines,Drums
Adam Rasmussen   Synthesizer,Mellotron,Piano
Sarah Versprille   Vocals (Background)
Shane McKillop   Bass,Guitar,Simmons Drums
Chris Lynch   Flute,Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Kevin Metcalfe   Mastering
Tim Goldsworthy   Producer,Mixing,Programming
Hans Lo   Art Direction
Amanda Staples   Photography
Dustin Damron   Photography
Gardens & Villa   Composer
Joe Jones   Engineer