Fin Eaves

Cloudland Canyon’s 2008 album Lie in Light was the last with Simon Wojan, who left after its release. Subsequently, founding member Kip Uhlhorn recruited his wife, Kelly, who bestowed breathy inflections throughout 2010’s Fin Eaves, a markedly mellower recording than its Krautrock-inspired predecessor. The gauzy opener, “No One Else Is Around,” is awash in experimental dream-pop. Androgynous whispers are nearly buried under layers of oversaturated guitar reverb, digital delay, and blissed-out distortion that recall early Flying Saucer Attack. At only one minute and 17 seconds of Pete Kember–inspired noise, it’s a wonder why the following instrumental was rewarded title-track status. But “Sister” is a true standout with uplifting, gospel-rooted melodies soaring from the abysmal depths of a sonic storm, bursting with moments that sound like Spiritualized on an upswing. Co-written by Kip and Kelly Uhlhorn, “Pinklike/Version” is a hypnotic symphony of sonic textures grooving under a tambourine like a much cleaner Methodrone-era Brian Jonestown Massacre. This one begs for further spousal collaboration.