A synthy, upbeat indie rock album

For those who love synthesizers, bumpin‰’ beats, a small dose of guitars, and males who have decent voices that can carry a tune, look no further than Gardens and Villa‰’s album, Dunes. The album is an easy listen, and will have your toes tapping uncontrollably before you even realize it‰’s happening. Although the majority of the songs are quite buoyant, the energy level is brought down a bit in “Chrysanthemums‰” to a slow groove. It opens with a simple synthesized beat, a piano, and what sounds like a wooden flute recorder, which continues through the song, in addition to Chris Lynch‰’s soothing vocals. It‰’s a nice and much needed change in pace after the first three songs. “Colony Glen‰” and “Avalanche‰” are two stand out songs on the album that will put anyone in a good mood. Exuberance is where Gardens & Villa thrives, making their hometown of sunny Santa Barbara proud.

RIYL: Foals, Peter Rabbit, Craft Spells
Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7