Slumber Party

Kill Rock Stars has become more and more eclectic over the years, and the new album by Slumber Party is yet another departure for them. This four-piece from Detroit have a particularly apt name - their music is sleepy, dreamy pop that could send you into slumberland if it wasn't so entrancing. The vocals are really, really pretty - kind of a mix between the Ronettes, Julee Cruise, Cowboy Junkies and Slowdive. It isn't quite shoe-gazing music, but it isn't a million miles from it either. The vocal harmonies dominate all the songs and the lazy, quiet guitars hide in the background, weaving a hypnotic spell. The delicate balance is conserved even when the effects-laden guitars threaten to take over the proceedings. Slumber Party is an accessible album that is very, very easy to listen to. Over the duration of 13 songs, it does overstay its welcome a little bit, but that's a small price to pay for one of the loveliest albums I've heard in a long time.