Emerald Sea＜限定盤/Seafoam Green Vinyl＞

During their relatively brief career, New Yorks Sound of Ceres have charted an intriguing evolution from the waifish dream pop of 2016s Nostalgia for Infinity to the more abstract sci-fi leanings of 2018s The Twin. Using the shoegaze origins of their previous band, Candy Claws, as a stepping-stone to something much more expansive, core duo K and Ryan Hover have become known for their ambitious amalgam of literary references, classical influences, and elaborate audiovisual representation. Where their previous albums germinated in concepts by great European thinkers like Marcel Proust and Thomas Mann, Sound of Ceres third album, Emerald Sea, has a narrative entirely of their own making. Taking musical inspiration from Gustav Holsts iconic The Planets suite, Maurice Ravels Daphnis et Chloe ballet, and Lex Baxters quirky mid-century exotica albums, the band have constructed an elaborate three-act work depicting the ephemeral relationship of two supreme deities. As voiced by Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, the Universe comes to know itself through a succession of interactions with Venus, goddess of love and creator of matter. The latter of the two characters is sung by the bands own K Hover (known simply as K), whose gossamer voice navigates the celestial climes as if sprung directly from them. Its heady stuff, for sure, but Sound of Ceres have already established a panache for world-building, and their pseudo-orchestral lounge pop suites dazzle more often than not. From the puckish refrains of the lovely "Sunday Venus" to the intricate "Arm of Golden Flame," the two characters intertwine amid fascinating compositions that are intellectually challenging but ultimately rewarding. ~ Timothy Monger