Ambient lush pop romantics

NO formed when the bass player and frontman ended their respective relationships; and that sums up story they‰’re trying to tell. Following their debut EP in 2011, Los Angeles based NO continued to channel the aura of failed romance to release El Prado this year. New Zealander Bradley Hanan Carter provides low brooding vocals as he pleads for his love to “stay with me/ isn‰’t there a place for me inside your heart?‰” Meanwhile, the bass continues to drive each song with smooth riffs and effortless progressions to add a tease of optimism to every despairing line. Try as the guitar or drum might to lighten the album up, the melancholy overcast holds strong. Even on more upbeat tracks, such as “There‰’s a Glow,‰” there‰’s a heft on your heart and a weight on your chest. If catharsis is the name of your game, give El Prado a listen as a whole; there‰’s a tragic epic to be listen to here.

RIYL: Bark Psychosis, The Dig, The Kissaway Trail
Recommended: 2, 4, 6, 10