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Aug 13, 2018 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

Still Corners, the duo of Greg Hughes and vocalist Tessa Murray, have been honing their craft since they dropped their debut album Creatures of An Hour in 2011. Three albums later this sound has evolved into a marvelous mix of sublime dreaminess and smart atmospheric pop-rock.

It’s a sound that borrows heavily from the Cocteau Twins/Beach House aesthetic of airy guitars, hushed indie-rock beats, and ethereal vocals. Combined with blithe synth washes and crisp, vibrant beats, the songs have a multi-layered and textural edge to them without being overbearing.

Opening track “In the Middle of the Night” along with “Welcome to Slow Air,” “Dreamlands,” and single “Black Lagoon” show off not only the pinnacle of the band’s newly developed sound but the duo’s ability to craft sprightly rock songs. Each is a fantastically entertaining and shimmering excursion with polished bass lines, slick beats, and atmospheric guitar swirls topped off with Murray’s sweet, reverb-coated vocals.

But Still Corners aren’t content to rest on the laurels of this new found resonance though, as a few tracks on Slow Air show their willingness to keep tweaking and experimenting with their sound. “Whisper” and “Long Goodbyes” are slower, more wistful tracks with less structure and more spooky atmospherics, while “Fade Out” kicks the tempo up a notch and even adds a nimble synth lick straight from the ‘80s.

The few remaining tracks don’t work as well but aren’t necessarily clunkers either. They contain many of the same ingredients, just not mixed or cooked properly, and end up sounding like something that would fit on a Julee Cruise album or reminiscent of Chris Isaak’s hit from the ‘80s, “Wicked Game.”

Slow Air is an excellent, if not totally innovative, album of crafty atmospheric dream-pop that is rich and full and can be enjoyed at low volume as soothing morning music or as engaging rock music blasted at full volume. (www.stillcorners.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10