Sunblown

Gazelle is something of a Parasol Records supergroup, bringing together singer Adam Fein (late of the dream pop outfit Absinthe Blind) and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Dimpsey (Poster Children, Hum, National Skyline, etc.) for a low-key set of melancholic indie electronica à la the Postal Service. Unfortunately, that description is so on the nose that there's little else to say about Sunblown: the ten tracks blend heavily processed guitars, brisk electronic beats, and various keyboards (both electric and acoustic) into atmospheric minor-key settings for Fein's delicate, breathy vocals and impressionistic lyrics, and those who like that sort of thing will find plenty to enjoy here. The seven-minute "Lineal" is the centerpiece track, a multi-part epic that fades out to over a minute's worth of unadorned electronic drone, but the best track is the dreamy "Phasedown," a shimmering, beatless meditation that features a gorgeous vocal part by Headlights singer Erin Fein (Adam's sister and a fellow former Absinthe Blind member) and the album's most inventive and textured production. There's nothing at all wrong with Sunblown, a post-rock shoegazing mood piece perfect for a drowsy windows-open summer evening where the crickets and cicadas can blend in with the buzzing and murmuring hum, but those expecting more than serene atmosphere may find it a bit wanting.