Sky Swimming

The U.K. duo of Amelia Rivas and Christian Pinchbeck lurk in the land where ‘60s girl-group pop meets a gothic end. Like any number of musical ensembles that feature heavily reverbed female vocals and dreamlike instrumentation, Elephant seek to replicate that aching twinge of nostalgia that comes with imagining the past as being so far away it hurts. Rivas’ voice is well-suited for the task, and the duo’s decision to move beyond their lo-fi start is as inevitable as it is necessary. “Allured” captures the feeling they’re looking for without harming their sound. “Elusive Youth” nails the modernized '60s pop sound they desire without the pained lethargy of Lana Del Rey. Speaking of whom, “Shipwrecked” takes on a deliberately Del Rey–like catatonic vibe for a David Lynch–style experience where dreams and reality warp together as one. “Come to Me” adds a solid backbeat that’s deliberately missing throughout most of the album; it's a welcomed moment of convention, even if Elephant know they can’t get too dependent on it without losing their quirky sound.