Blouse

Portland's Blouse are another nice fit within the growing roster of Captured Tracks. Like most artists on Mike Sniper's label, the trio's soft textured dream pop has an ominous storm cloud hovering above it, giving it that darkened tone that tends to permeate Captured Track's catalogue. However, singer Charlie Hilton's breathy, half-conscious melodies make it more whimsical and heavenly. After releasing a seven-inch on Sub Pop and Captured Tracks, Blouse unveil a debut album that covers similar ground as retro enthusiastic sonic explorers Broadcast, Glass Candy and fellow newcomers Still Corners. And like those acts, Blouse are quite versatile, thanks in part to Jacob Portrait (also of Unknown Mortal Orchestra), whose rich, reverb-soaked production fills the space sublimely, allowing the wobbly synthesizers, creeping bass lines and fluttering guitar parts to converge and diverge freely. Hilton is the star though, using her vocals to caress the ear and evoke heartbreak on swan song "Fountain in Rewind," but also coo with confidence on the droning shoegaze of "Videotapes." Blouse's self-titled debut is concise and seductive, gleaming with assurances that there's plenty more of this to come from these three.