Review

Wilderness-based mystics shaggily triangulate Spiritualized, Dusty Springfield and Mazzy Star
Eclectic albums can be wonderful, but never underestimate the power of relentless specialization. The Matador debut by wilderness-based mystics Rachel Hughes and Nathan Shineywater focuses on one sound and one sound only, a shaggy triangulation between Dusty Springfield's [i]Dusty in Memphis[/i], Spiritualized's [i]Lazer Guided Melodies[/i], and Mazzy Star's [i]She Hangs Brightly[/i]. Track after track, Brightblack deploy the same cavernous reverb on Hughes' ethereal voice while alternating between the same few chords on her glowing Fender Rhodes, as Shineywater fills the ample spaces with guitar and slide whenever the spirit moves him. The result is a masterful extended mood piece — slow, druggy, ethereal and ultimately nourishing.