Bell Gardens is a collaboration between Kenneth James Gibson of Furry Things and Stars Of The Lid‘s Brian McBride, inspired by their respective backgrounds in experimental electronica and minimalist neo-classicism as well as a shared love of Phil Spector and the Beach Boys. Paying faithful homage to the latter, the duo eschewed bedroom production, computer software and synthesized sounds in favour of instruments and recording techniques that would have been available to their musical heroes in the ’60s and ’70s: piano, guitars, strings and horns, played live and recorded in a proper studio. The resulting album, Full Sundown Assembly, is an enchanting easy-listening/ country/ psych-folk/ dream-pop experience awash with regal orchestration and sweet, breathy harmonies; listen to the majestic “Through The Rain” below.
Full Sundown Assembly is out September 10 via Southern Records
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