The Sunlight and the Sound

Although hailing from the southeast, Nevada brews up something as expansive as the band's namesake state, mixing shoegazing guitars with co-ed vocals, string sections, and multiple helpings of reverb. The result is a vast, sprawling sound that touches upon everything from Mazzy Star to early R.E.M. to the days of buzzing garage rock — and even if debut album The Sunlight and the Sound is an unmistakably independent release (recorded in the band's hometown of Asheville, NC, and released without a label's financial support), it still distills Nevada's influences into something cohesive. Stick this hippie-friendly band into a time machine and relocate them to the west coast, and you might come up with something similar to the Mamas & the Papas. Like Nevada, the Mamas & the Papas took strength in their vocals, utilizing them both as centerpieces and background instrumentation, and often cherry-picking the best singer for each track. But while Mama Cass and company specialized in sunshine pop, using warm harmonies to evoke images of their beloved California, Nevada traffics in something different. Theirs is a pop music for the mountains, one that takes its influence from the rolling Appalachians surrounding Asheville's city limits. Opening number "Stars" could've been penned at one of those mountain's summits, its thick guitar riffs and ooh la la la vocals suggestive of fresh air and panoramic views, while "Fading" is the aural equivalent of cloud-watching on a summer afternoon. Then there's the band's lighthearted side, which shows itself in the slaphappy indie pop strains of "Flier's Dream" and the Michael Stipe-ish "In the Light." The Sunlight and the Sound doesn't sound like the product of a young band working on a shoestring budget, but that's what it is, and the album's humble beginnings make the end result that much sweeter. Recommended.