Moon Tides

Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman first played together as part of the retro-folk-flavored group Vetiver. With Pure Bathing Culture, Versprille’s decidedly feminine vocals take the spotlight while glittering guitar notes and crisp synths churn out rhythms wrapped in echoing bass drum and whooshing cymbals. The duo’s debut LP, Moon Tides, pulls off the neat trick of conjuring dark ‘60s pop, ‘80s ephemera like Cocteau Twins, and hazy contemporary indie pop like Blouse and Lower Dens, all in one fell swoop. The lead track, “Pendulum,” is, at first listen, a sweet and lulling thing that dissolves at the end like sugar on the tongue. On second listen, the tune’s hauntingly nostalgic pop tones take a deeper hold, and—like Moon Tides as a whole—becomes more layered and nuanced. “Dream the Dare” is even more potent, with an ABBA-esque melody stirring some unnamable longing with indecipherable lyrics. (But that won’t stop you from singing along.) This is a beautiful follow-up to Pure Bathing Culture's self-titled EP released earlier in 2013.