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Aug 06, 2013 Web Exclusive By Billy Hamilton

Despite their Scandinavian roots, hotly tipped trio Postiljonen aren’t exactly what you’d call a winter band. The airy soundscapes and melting synth lines of the trio’s debut long-player swoon to the romantic, carefree chords of a late summer evening that stretches on until dawn.

Across these 11 tracks, the dreamy pop ensemble produces a slew of sun-kissed melodies that lie somewhere between the cloud-walking ambition of the underrated Air France and the grandiose atmospherics of every aspirational ‘80s pop outfit you can think of. If you’re looking for something gnarly, Skyer is not it—these are sounds for sentimental souls.

Underpinning the gentle ambience is vocalist Mia Bøe. Her crisp, ceramic tones tease opening number “Help” into a breezy choral bliss; she exhales a heavenly harpsichordal mew over the tapestry of “Supreme”; and album peak “Skying High” finds her scaling jittering M83-like synth loops with an elegant nimbleness.

While there’s much to admire in these simple moments, this is a record that rarely rises from slumber. Harmony-smothered numbers such as “Plastic Panorama” and “All That We Had Is Lost” are meditative slithers that could soundtrack the most relaxing tai chi session, while “Atlantis” is a dreary, ethereal sigh that trails off into an insufficient finale.

Such Balearic bliss won’t appeal to everyone, but Skyer is still capable of leaving a glow of satisfaction, given the right occasion. And with winter’s chill not too far away, such a gratifying slab of summer is probably no bad thing. (www.postiljonen.tumblr.com)

Author rating: 7/10