AMAZON
Having left the quiet-core Galaxie 500 all those years ago to pursue their own even quieter path, Damon and Naomi create music that you don't so much listen to as eavesdrop on. Their quiet, atmospheric ruminations have an overheard quality that suggests a slightly altered state of consciousness. Their sleepy rhythms and obscure, symbolic lyrics make for a late-night brainteaser. On this album the Japanese psychedelic group Ghost add guitar and keyboards to the Spartan proceedings, subtly coloring the gentle hues without trampling on the delicate balance. Two covers, Alex Chilton's "Blue Moon" and Tim Hardin's "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce", garner mixed results. Their version of Chilton's tune doesn't quite have the desperation of the original, while the Hardin cover, modelled on Nico's version of the same song (as featured on the sublime Chelsea Girl), achieves a haunted, alienated effect. There is an enticing strangeness to the duo's aloof manner, and just as they never look into the camera, neither do their songs confront head-on the difficult emotions simmering under the surface. --Rob O'Connor