We’ve given Gardens & Villa some love on this site before, but somehow never got around to reviewing them. They’ve done their hard work, finishing their self-titled album and facilitating some more pure listening enjoyment, so now we’ll do ours. These fellows from Santa Barbara, California, have recorded a kind of sonic house party full of galactic synths, rug-cutting drum machines, fuzzy bass parts, a little nostalgic flute, and some seriously impressive vocals to name a few.
It’s a rare thing these days for an album to have its tail end be even stronger than the first portion. I find it’s much too often that artists will have three or four songs that are up to their standards, all of which get stuffed into the first five tracks, leaving not necessarily filler as the rest, but decidedly sub-standard work. You don’t have to try hard to notice when artists have really put their heads down and made sure that each piece of music is up to standard, creating a full, conscious work deserving of an attentive listener. Gardens & Villa, I’m glad to say, have done that and then some. It’s a testament to their songwriting ability and respect for the art of music. As a result, there are no weak points in the album; every song has it’s own identity and quality.
“Black Hills” garners single status, and understandably so. It sports an especially clever change in the chorus. But I found “Sunday Morning” and “Neon Dove” to be sensational tracks. “Sunday Morning” is a wonderfully Lennon-esque, albeit a bit unexpected track in which every little piece comes together perfectly. The well-crafted chord progressions, the tremolo guitar, the thin ride, the vocal melodies, everything works. This track alone displays unlimited potential, but they close the album without giving up a bit of steam in “Neon Dove”. Swirling vocal and synth melodies and mysterious imagery wind down the senses beautifully.
What Gardens & Villa have done is prove that they have the potential to be great artists. Their sound may not be completely distinct, granted, but infinitely more important is that their songwriting is already excellent and has potential to be monstrous. I thank them for this latest album, and you can bet I’ll be eagerly waiting for more, confident that I’m not the only one.
Connect with Gardens & Villa – Facebook | Bandcamp | Website
