Shimmering Stars - Violent Hearts (Vinyl LP, CD)

I mean not to be peurile but it really looks like something has done a shit down the back of this promo CD. Then I realised it was part of the design, like a picture of some clouds out the window of a high-flying hairyplane but some maniacal goon has managed to escape onto the roof and squeeze out the remnants of last nights chicken massala. Why would someone DO that?? That's not the greatest start to a review, sorry, because this is music that doesn't deserve to be associated with my bizarre scatological worries. Shimmering Stars make old music in the best sense. That ghostly reverb that makes the music sound dusty and timeless is in abundance here. The songs have a hazy late '50s/early '60s vibe like Del Shannon or Phil Spector's production and the like. It's never a problem to me that this sound has been done to death when the songs are of a certain lovable quality, like these here. They've been sold to us as a "dreampop" act but I really think they're just an authentic, lovelorn bunch who love classic harmonies and the sound of their instruments echoing all over your stupid face. They probably also sleep with Beach Boys press photos under their pillows, the big soft spangle-eyed Canadian jessies. Gotta love the attention to detail here and the fact every song is a spectral-sounding brylcreemed indie gem. Like a more tentative, trad take on the Papercuts sound, this ain't gonna raise any eyebrows but the songs win little prizes in my heart.