Auburn Lull

From their very 4AD-esque name to their swirling soundscapes, Auburn Lull are one of those for whom time has stood still, but not necessarily in a bad way. Formed back in the mid-’90s, they’ve distilled their love of ethereal and shoegazing music into the purest of essences during the past decade, and while Begin Civil Twilight sounds as if it could have come out at any point during their career, it is still a lovely album. Reminiscent of early Slowdive and This Mortal Coil, Auburn Lull do exactly what they set out to: create layer upon layer of sound and add some dreamy vocals on top. And, for the most part, it works. The problem with this kind of music is that it does have a tendency for songs to merge together and meander around without purpose, but in this case even those moments couldn’t be described as anything less than pretty. Auburn Lull are very good at what they do, and they know just what to do to hit all the right buttons. They are hardly reinventing the wheel but they have polished it up so it is nice and shiny, and for that they should be applauded.