The title of Detroit-based
Slumber Party's sophomore album accurately sums this one up nicely, as it comes across as both neo-psychedelic and somewhat delicate all at once, recalling the paisley underground revival pop of groups like Opal and
Mazzy Star and the diaphanous harmonic filigree of outings by Denise James and
Damon & Naomi. Producer
Matthew Smith, allowing only moderate overdubbing here, polishes their somewhat naïve yet deceptively abstruse dream pop until it has a sophisticated sheen, still shining and dripping with soft reverb. Many of the tracks have a similar sound overall -- an analgesic-soaked ambience, often recalling
the Velvet Underground's melancholy self-titled third album -- but the restrained, under-amped, drifting guitars and Maureen Tucker-ish rum-tum-tum floor-tom/snare beats seem to mesh well with Aliccia Berg's comely but drowsy
Nico-on-NyQuil-style vocals. The album begins, somewhat appropriately, with the hiss of an amp kicking to life, foreshadowing the reverb-rich, tape-echo-saturated sound that continues throughout. The album's centerpiece, "Everyone Else I Know," is a simplistic, organ-driven track. "Soldier" has a amiable country-rock feel, highlighted by Gretchen Gonzales' shimmering lead guitar, while the smoldering "My Little One" is the very antithesis of the murky Detroit rawk sound that many of the Motor City's best bands continue to pattern themselves on. ~ Bryan Thomas