Whatever you call it -- chamber pop or dream-pop -- it's a genre that has remarkable resilience. And while I almost hesitate to use it cavalierly, it fits the music of Sweden's Light Vibes. The duo's new album, Past/Present, out on Friday via Fading Trails Recordings, is a fantastic record, and one that veers easily between styles with a real melodic heft.
From the rippling pop of the title cut and on to the spry electronica of "Ivory Satin", there's a real sense of craft at work here. Erik Klinga and Mathias Zachrisson know exactly how to make this sort of thing work, with little wasted around the big hooks. "Love Wins" is elegance and grace, while the lush "Why You?" is a mix of aching loveliness and a big dose of the sort of music that one once found on albums from, say, The Blue Nile. Elsewhere, "Following" whirs by effortlessly, while the glorious "A Piece Of My Heart" coos and purrs, staying just this side of precious.
Light Vibes manage to compose and perform tunes that feel as light as air, and which retain a really strong sense of melodic power. I guess you could say that they know their way around a hook, ornamenting things with a carefully-chosen set of instrumental flourishes or effects. And that makes Past/Present a minor masterpiece of chamber pop, really.
Past/Present is out on Friday via Fading Trails Recordings.
More details on Light Vibes via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Uncredited photo from the band's Facebook page]