The Blood Lines

Combining co-ed vocals with a mix of atmospheric indie rock, shoegaze, and accessible melodies, the Blood Lines sound noticeably polished for an independent band. But just like the '70s influence that runs throughout most of this debut effort, independence is a major part of the Blood Lines' appeal, from the band's homemade production (bassist S.J. Kardash tracked the recording sessions in his own home) to the simple, hand-numbered album art encasing each disc. There's no obvious frontperson here, no focal point, no blatant engineering by a record label to make the Blood Lines an easily accessible band. The emphasis, then, is shifted to the group's music, which flirts with My Bloody Valentine's distorted dreamscapes before bringing them into focus with same sort of sexy girl-and-guy crooning that the Dandy Warhols champion. Perhaps the most striking part about the Blood Lines' debut is the seventh inning stretch, where "On And On" employs a looping keyboard riff and "Orcana" delves headfirst into prog rock, complete with full-band harmonies and a 90-second guitar solo. Elsewhere, the group hones its own amalgam of sound, which shines its brightest whenever Maygen Kardash fires up her organ and injects a shot of retro melody into the Lines' bloodstream. Getting signed certainly won't hurt the Blood Lines — if anything, it'll allow them more leverage to penetrate American airwaves — but this debut proves they can stand on their own two feet.