Mixtape | New music reviews

From American modern psych to breezy French pop, both Yeasayer and The Limiñanas bring sweet cinematic sounds to listeners with their newest releases, respectively.

Yeasayer
Fragrant World
Secretly Canadian Records

 

If you aren’t familiar with Yeasayer, you’ll like them, especially if you are into beat-driven danciness and smart, economical lyrics.

Synth-heavy melodies wrap around their multi-layered vocal harmonies, at one moment buttery smooth, then the next scattering loosely like rocks thrown across a placid pond.

Funky beats meet effected instrumentation in Fragrant World, continuing their knack for consistency as a band. Still, each of their releases has been equally solid without seeming redundant, which can be a struggle for more techno-heavy bands.

The album title, Fragrant World, is well chosen, with each song pulsating with its very own flavor and aroma. The newest release from this eclectic Brooklyn trio is yet another happy surprise if you’ve been a fan of their earlier creations.

Recommended if you like: Hot Chip, Animal Collective, Beach House, MGMT, Caribou, Michael Jackson

 

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The Limiñanas
Crystal Anis LP/CD
Hozac Records

Even though I know only a smattering of French, I was completely entranced almost instantly with this new release from French pop outfit The Limiñanas. A carefully crafted sound, with simple beats, fuzzy guitar tracks, Crystal Anis is a pop-minimalist’s dream.

The band’s sophomore full-length release, Crystal Anis shows growth and complexity. Their 60s-styled pop isn’t contrived in the least, but instead evolved, with a clean sound, yet reminiscent of other low-fi garage recordings.

Seductive and lush, Mari Limiñana’s vocals are luxurious, with added depth by backing vocalists and bandmate Lio Limiñana. Mix these together with searing psych guitar riffs, Farfisa-style keyboard tracks and a driven, minimal drum beat and you’ve got perfection.

Recommended If You Like:
Francoise Hardy, Velvet Underground, Serge Gainsbourg, Les Bellas, Ronettes, Stereolab

 

Hear a preview of these two albums in Twinkle's Mixtape - New Releases: August on Spotify.com.

 

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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.