Still Corners

These days, it's possible for a band to become the talk of the town based on a single track making the rounds on the Internet, as was the case with London, UK group Still Corners. Those with an even better memory might remember their rather splendid 2008 EP, Remember Pepper, with its dreamy take on music for French films yet to be made. But album number one, Creatures of an Hour, is something special ― this is atmospheric pop of the highest order. The similarities of Tessa Murray's voice to Broadcast's Trish Keenan haven't gone unnoticed in the past, but she's come into her own, with a newfound confidence and dominance, and is the perfect complement to the often eerie and inevitably melancholy nature of the music. The song that brought all that initial attention, "Endless Summer," is still as majestic as ever, with its shift from Murray's breathy vocals to the shimmering organ before fading away slowly; it is still one of the band's finest moments. But there are plenty of other highlights on Creatures of an Hour, suggesting that it was a wise move for them to take such a leisurely approach to releasing their debut.